Break The Rules
by WingsToTheStars
Summary: [AU] Ten years apart from their last big score, the Koopalings are asked to come out of hiding to help an old friend. What should have been a simple reunion and a classic job turns into a conspiracy that puts them in the spotlight of something far bigger than they could have ever imagined.
1. Winds of Change

**CHAPTER 1 - Winds of Change**

 _LOCATION: Ashwood Estates, Neo City, Darklands Kingdom_

 _TIME: 10:40PM_

Mists from the fog danced around the garden eloquently. It lapped up every object it could undisturbed, aware of how much it was truly hiding. The tranquility of it punctured by the distant city lights gave way to a simple limousine. Nothing that no one could suspect - elongated, light, surprisingly nimble, tinted windows. It had all the bearings of a simple and ordinary vehicle.

It pulled up to the front doors of a particularly luxurious mansion. Perfectly symmetrical and lined with charcoal brick walls that seemed like it belonged in a castle. Inside, the curtains were shut but a steady stream of artificial light flickered by as the limousine stopped. Out stepped the driver whose expression didn't change and without hesitance, let his passenger out of the car.

The passenger didn't seem like one to be riding fancy limousines at this time of night. Instead all that could be seen under the tattered hood that he wore was a pair of spectacles, barely shining out from behind the darkness on his face.

The air was cold and bitter. High up on the mountains, it had taken at least half an hour to drive up here from the city. The subdued grays around him only pushed him forward deeper into the estate. He was dreading, just a little bit deep down, about what was going on behind it and what he could get himself involved into.

He limped up and chose to ring the doorbell.

It didn't take long for it to be answered.

"Hey kid," The owner greeted him with a big grin. "Come on in."

He had never seen anything like it - it was spectacularly grand in the foyer; warm and inviting in more ways than one. The fireplace to his right roared with intensity that he hadn't felt for a long time and it made him feel right at home. Still, it was weird to be in an opulent and clean mansion looking like what he was. Ragged and worn from waiting and hiding.

"Sit down, take your coat off. Can I get you a drink?" Bowser welcomed him like a warm friend. "Or do you still drink these days, Ignatius?"

Iggy nodded as he sat down on the plush and way-too-comfortable-for-his-own-good couch. "Sure," He replied simply, the shivers in his body falling away slowly from the heat. "Just some whiskey would be nice."

Bowser poured something from behind the bar out of sight. For all Iggy knew, he was just going to poison him. His faith in the man was unwavering though and he chose to follow that instead of the logical route.

"Here you are."

Iggy took a gingerly sip from the glass. "Thanks."

Bowser was still the same as he had been ten years ago; tall, imposing, but looked a bit older. Iggy supposed that it was obvious and he had mentally documented the changes over the year from the days he could actually be bothered to watch the news. The fires of his red hair was starting to get white at the roots but out of context he looked like a nice, middle-aged koopa wearing a nice suit.

"So, how's the politics going?" He asked him.

"Just wonderful. I'm sure you've seen it over the years, haven't you?" Bowser chuckled through his teeth, swigging down another shot of his drink. "Moving up in the world and all that, but what about you? You look like you've just been fished out of the gutter."

Iggy raised a brow and looked at his tattered shirt. "So? I chose not to spend what we made on frivolous things. Besides, couldn't risk having anything traced back to me."

"Always the cautious one. I suppose you have every right to be."

"You're the one who should have been cautious."

Bowser waved his hand dismissively. "I was fine. I had my cover and most of us made it out."

" _'Most of us'_ ," Iggy repeated back to him. "And you couldn't have helped them at all?"

"Not like I could do anything while I was stuck in witness protection." He rubbed his temples. "Anyway, I don't want to argue about this. It's been a long time coming but you know what you're here for."

Iggy put down his empty glass. "Yeah. I do."

"You've been keeping track of everyone?"

"As best I could," He shrugged. "A few of them have gone off the radar and I haven't been able to find them."

"You have Lawrence though?"

"Yeah, I have him."

"Good," Bowser folded his arms. "We'll need him if we want to get everyone back in on this. Who else have you got?"

Iggy tilted his head in thought. "Lemmy, Wendy, Morton... I know Roy still hasn't served his sentence yet and Ludwig? Well that's obvious, isn't it?" He looked at Bowser's expression when he mentioned Ludwig - it was surprising to see that the old man's face hadn't changed, but Iggy could see the hurt deep down behind his stoic gaze.

"We can do it without Ludwig." Bowser eventually affirmed with a nod. "But Larry is the most important one here."

He shifted uncomfortably. "I get the feeling this is a need-to-know basis thing you've got going with me here Bowser. This isn't a simple bank job, is it?"

"It is, but for different reasons. And yes, it is on a need-to-know basis. Can't tell you about it until I know you have Lawrence on board with us."

"He's going to be pissed at us." Iggy noted.

Bowser grimaced. "Well he's going to have to deal with it. He should have gotten over it by now."

"Old wounds aren't easy to heal. You know that."

"Don't get all philosophical wishy-washy on me Ignatius, all I care about is this. This is something much more than anything we've ever done. Not the diamonds, not the trains, nothing like that. This is pure high stakes we've got now. You're here because I trust you. I need you to get this done for me." He leaned towards him. "If you don't there's going to be a world of shit upon all of us that'll mess up everything we've worked for. Do I make myself clear?"

"Yes Boss." Iggy nodded slowly, anxiety starting to creep up his back. When Bowser stood up, he stood up too.

"Good. Now, got everything all set up for you. Nice little warehouse by the docks in Neo City," Bowser began to lead him out. "Driver knows where to go, he'll keep it secret blah blah blah. You still know how to drive?"

He raised a brow in a deadpan look. "I just got my knee smashed, I'm not a cripple, yes I know how to drive."

Bowser wryly chuckled at his associates' sarcasm. "Because you'll be taking long road trips across the kingdoms. Now," He wagged his finger at the sitting Iggy. "Don't contact me unless you have Larry or you just found out he's dead. I have several lines at the safe-house you can use that won't incriminate any of us. Remember kid, I'm counting on you. Get this done and we'll be free from each other forever. You got me?"

"Yes, Boss. You have my word."

The big koopa watched as the limousine disappeared into the fog, hands clamped behind his crisp black suit and not saying a word. He just let the wind caress his hair and his breath come out in small puffs.

Nothing was going to be the same again.

He disappeared back inside his fortress.

* * *

 _A/N: This is an AU of sorts that I've had on the brain. Second chapter is coming as well, hopefully should gauge some interest. Thanks for reading!_


	2. A Little Help

**CHAPTER 2 - A Little Help**

 _LOCATION: Dr. Shaw's Office, Downtown Cedar City, Grasslands Kingdom_

 _TIME: 11:04AM_

"Tell me a bit about your family, Lawrence."

Larry blinked and came back to the universe he was currently inhabiting. "Huh? What?"

"Tell me about your family." Shaw repeated kindly, hands sat gracefully on his knees as he looked over at the stocky koopa before him. His eyes displayed a genuine kindness and patience that when Larry temporarily caught his expression, felt nothing but mild irritation at how perfect he was.

"I don't know," He shrugged. "My father was never around, probably a deadbeat. Mom raised me on her own and then died shortly after I left home. Nothing wrong there. She was just good to me."

Shaw noted his answer. "And what about your current family?"

"I got my son, Nick. A bit shy, doesn't talk much, smart kid though. Couldn't hold a conversation but if you asked him about music theory or whatever he'd talk your head off a million miles a minute. My wife, Liza? She's good too. Didn't exactly care much for my previous job but still sticks by me. Brings home a neat income from her job so we're not surviving entirely on kingdom-given money. We're doing good."

"Sounds like you have a good home life."

Larry looked out the window. "And yet, I'm here."

"Accepting that you need help with whatever ails you is the first step, and for many, it's a big one," Shaw clicked his pen again. "The highest amount of respect I can give to people is when they have the courage and pride to be vulnerable. There is nothing wrong with being vulnerable. Everyone; all the kinds of humans, koopas and such all share the same brain processes. The electrical parts that make us tick. Vulnerability is something that we all share in common."

"I don't know Doc," Larry shrugged. "You could be onto something with his mumbo-jumbo psychology shit, but for me things just feel... I don't know. Stale."

Shaw began to write again. "Ah yes, you're not seeing satisfaction in your day-to-day life."

"Well when you sit around the pool all day and watch TV you kind of start to dread waking up and," He put his hands out for effect. "I know some people would kill for that sort of luxury, but when you've been living it for a while it starts to wear you out."

"So in layman's terms, Lawrence, you're bored?"

Larry gave a nod.

"That's nothing to be ashamed of. In your position it's okay to be. You cannot go out into public as much as you'd like to and your wife is working. But there's a marvelous thing about boredom."

"What? How awful it is?"

Shaw laughed softly at that. "That as well. But boredom is a good motivator. People always like to say, 'necessity is the mother of invention'. A very smart human proverb but I believe it can be that and maybe a quarter of that is boredom. Our modern world demands our attention so much that we seldom get bored. But when we do, it drives us to do many great things. What are your hobbies, Lawrence?"

"Huh? I don't know," Larry tugged on his coat. "Is drinking a hobby?"

"No. That's a vice."

"Well... I guess music. I always wanted to make music. Electronic music. Something that you'd blast in a nightclub, you know? But... ah," He waved his hand dismissively. "I'm too old to learn anything new."

"Thirty-two is not an old age. Far from it," Shaw explained. "It's never too late to seize your destiny."

"Try telling that to past me who thought running in a gang was a good idea."

"Ah yes, your old partners. You talked about them briefly before," Flipping the pages on his notebook, Shaw observed his scribbling minutely. "It sounds like you have had some unsaid frustrations with them."

"You could say that."

"Why don't you talk about it?"

Chuckling, Larry replied, "Because it reminds me of painful things."

"Fair enough. You do not have to talk about it now. But I will remind you that whatever you say in here is between us. Unless you're a danger to yourself, your family or the public nothing in this office will leave."

"And what constitutes 'danger', Doc?"

"If you were expressing thoughts of misanthropy, that's all."

"Believe me Doc," He leaned forwards in the couch. "That's not my style. Murder ain't anything to be proud of. Did I rough people up during my time? Yeah sure. Violence is sometimes the only language that gets spoken out there, away and under from civilized society. You ever been to prison, Doc?"

Shaw gave a chortle. "No, I have not."

"Good. Prison is shit. It will eat up an egghead like you and spit out all your blood and teeth."

"You sound like you speak from experience, Lawrence."

"I was there for five years," Larry held up his fingers. "Was going to hit sixth but I got out on good behavior. I couldn't see my son again until he was eleven, all because I was stabbed in the back. Two 'friends', working against us. They got me and Roy in prison and everyone else scrambled for cover."

Shaw held his pen towards him. "Roy. Can you tell me about him?"

"Roy? He was the weapons guy. Made sure we always had the latest hardware."

"And how would you describe your relationship with him? At least back in the day?"

"Well, he wasn't a fucking traitor. So as far as I'm concerned we're good on that front."

"And the others?"

"We got along the same as well," Larry said honestly. "At first it was sort of a business mutual relationship I had with everyone. But I guess in the end, we all ended up being friends. I watched the news for if they got caught during and after my sentence. Nothing. But I'd bet that they changed their identities and got out of there. Can't really blame them. We'd been left with a big giant mess and had to pick up the pieces ourselves."

The alarm on the table next to Shaw began to buzz incessantly. It was a shrill noise that the doctor was all too happy to shut off.

"I guess that's all the time we have for for today. But," Shaw smiled and didn't rise from his chair. "Will you let me suggest something to you, Lawrence?"

"Do I have a choice?"

"We always have a choice. That's what makes us, us. After all you had every bit of choice to get to where you are now. It's just a matter of dealing with the emotions that come with it. But I digress; going back to your boredom. Can you do something that would helpfully alleviate some of your restlessness?" He held his notepad in his hand. "Buy one of these and make a list of things for you to do the next day. No matter what it is. It could be watching TV or drinking, as you say."

Larry was skeptical. "But that's the stuff I usually do anyway." He observed.

"Yes, but the point is when you put your activities into easily digestible words and turn it into something to be accomplished, you will feel a lot better. Words are underestimated. They are very powerful in influencing the mind. You might indulge in your vices on a day-to-day basis but shrinking it down into something that you can say you have done will diminish any feelings of boredom and self-regret."

"Not sure I get you Doc, but... sure. I'll give it a go."

The doctor gave him a genuine smile. "Good. It takes small steps, but you will get there. For now though, same time next week?"

"Sure thing. See you then."

A sigh finally escaped his mouth as he shut the office door.

This was pathetic.

Someone like him didn't need to see a therapist... but if Larry could only think of one thing, it was that maybe Shaw was onto to something. Maybe things in his life had felt a bit disjointed, he thought as he wandered down onto the main street of the city. The air was sharp but there wasn't a cloud in the sky. A splitting blue image of serenity above him.

He shoved his hands into his pockets and observed the various people walking by him without a second glance. It was somewhat comforting, but Larry still felt anxious being out in the open.

Turning on his cell phone again, one missed call brightened up the screen.

"Shit," Larry intoned to himself as he dialed the number back. When it was picked up, he immediately adopted a smile. "Hey Lize, sorry about missing you. I was at Shaw's. What's up?"

Liza laughed softly from the other end. "That's fine. As long as he's not being a waste of money."

"Nah, nothing like that. He's actually given me something to work with. Anyway, I'm still out in Cedar. Want me to do that grocery run?"

"Yes please. Remember; steak, seasoning, vegetables and whatever else you want," She gave an excited noise. "Ooh, I like it when you're outside."

"Leave me alone."

"You know I love you."

Larry smiled. "I love you too. I'll be home in about an hour with everything."

"Wonderful. I'll see you then Lar. Love you."

"See ya Lize. Love you too."

* * *

 _LOCATION: 1902 Aspen Drive, Autumn Point, Grasslands Kingdom_

 _TIME: 12:05PM_

The mansion beckoned him. Well, the family home anyway. It was a modest thing but Larry could say that he enjoyed living there. At least he wasn't moving around as much. As much as he was bored, he couldn't help but love the reality of coming home to somewhere that wasn't being snooped around by the cops.

Parking his car in the driveway he hummed a tune to himself as he let himself in, brown bag of groceries in one arm and holding a notepad and pen in the other.

"I'm home!" Larry called out, hearing the television on in the other room.

"In here!" The voice replied from the next room over. Liza was watching television this time, the credits on a show just rolling over now. Larry proudly displayed the brown bag on the kitchen counter.

He gave a flourish. "Here it is!"

If Larry could describe one thing about his wife, it was that she was always enthusiastic. It wasn't the bubbly kind though; Liza had a rough personality, it was one that was always laughing at your expense but people always knew that she was joking. Deep down behind the humor, there was a heart that cared. She just chose to dress it up in a very punk-like style. He would have thought that she would have ditched the garb after having Nick, but Liza was always full of surprises.

At a glance it was still easy to tell that she was a mother though. That was what Larry liked about her. She never hid herself, at least unintentionally.

"Well done you," She replied, immediately nosing in the bag. "You got everything! I guess that noggin is still working, huh?"

Larry laughed and wrapped his hands around her waist. "Still have a few tricks left in me." They stared into each other's eyes with grins from both of them.

"At least your sense of timing is well done," Liza jerked her head towards the TV. "Just finished my soaps."

"Great. I can have the television now."

"Before dinner though."

"What?" He looked at her with a teasing grin. "What are you watching?"

Liza pulled out the vegetables. "None of your fuckin' beeswax. But seriously, I just wanted to catch up on some reality crap before I head out to work tonight."

"Right."

He turned to look at the television, which was finishing the credits with a flourish. All the good TV shows were made down in Neo City, the city where the rich folks never sleep or something like that. A bunch of over-privileged assholes flaunting their money.

Immediately, the familiar sight of the news came on. Never one to miss a segment, Larry took his seat at the end of the couch and watched, mildly aware of the rustling of the groceries behind him as Liza took up the slack and began to prepare the ingredients.

"Kingdoms in despair!" The reporter started, making Larry snort. Typical overblown sensationalist media. "Crime rates everywhere have gone up. Drugs, weapons, trafficking of all kinds. You name it, there's somewhere that suffers from it. What can we do about it? The average citizen may feel helpless and that is what Queen Toadstool is aiming to improve..."

Liza gave a mirthful laugh from behind. "Monarchs. They won't do anything to empower us."

"And now, live from Neo City, is the police chief who is assuring the fair kingdom that everything is okay..."

The room became quiet suddenly. Larry had the remote held up with a shaking hand. Whether it was of fright or anger, Liza couldn't tell from where she was. But she understood and regarded her husband with a sympathetic look.

"I'm sorry Lawrence."

Larry shook his head in reply. "It's fine. Not your fault."

"Have you talked about it with Shaw? It could do you some good."

"Not ready for it."

She nodded. "Fair enough." She watched him as he wandered outside in a daze, taking up his usual spot on the poolside. Maybe one day he'd be ready to talk about it.

Larry sank into the chair, eyes closed and hands linked over his stomach. All that ran through was mind was the past. Talking about it today had bought it up and seeing the news bring it up also... he should have gotten over this years ago. He was safe and comfortable and loved life.

So why was he so bored, so hung up on the past that he'd rather be doing anything than be safe?

"Fuck..." He murmured to himself. "What can I do?"

He really didn't know. But the sun was beautiful today. The morning had cleared up and the rays were beating down onto his yellow scales. It warmed him, made him melt, the feeling was amazing. Now he remembered why he did this. Because in the end when he had himself, it was nice to know that he could at least relax.

A door slammed behind him and voices called out from the distance.

"Hey Nick!"

"Hey Mom..."

Larry perked open an eyelid.

"How was school today?"

"It was fine." That was the tone of someone who didn't find it fine. "I'm gonna go and study."

"Okay hon. I'll call you for dinner."

Nick was home early. What time was it? He checked his watch.

And then he swore under his breath.

Liza smiled as Larry walked inside, brushing the sleep from his eyes. "Good afternoon, lazy. Did you enjoy your nap?"

"Shut up."

She laughed and reached over from behind the couch to grab his hand. "Hey, you looked like you needed it. Wanna help me make dinner?"

Looking over at the kitchen, he saw the ingredients were ready. "Yeah, sure, why not?" Larry smiled.

* * *

"Hey, Dad?"

Larry snapped his head up, unaware that someone had been nearby. Thankfully though it was just Nick. Sixteen years old and he was a perfectly typical teenager. He'd inherited his natural blue hair from Larry, but everything else was all from Liza's side. It was easy to mistake him for her twin sometimes. At least he'd gotten the part of Larry that liked music.

"Hey kiddo," He greeted affectionately, muting the volume on the TV. "What's up?"

Nick shifted uncomfortably. "I gotta tell you something... about school today."

Larry nodded. "Yeah you sounded a bit down when you came home. Something bothering you?"

"It had to do with my maths teacher. You know him?"

He tilted his head in thought, trying to think about to the parent-teacher conferences that he'd had to go to. "Oh... uh, was he the balding one that always so gruffy?"

"Yeah. Brotchley."

Larry clicked his fingers in recognition. "Brotchley, yeah. That's him."

"He... he... uh," The kid looked embarassed. "He.. saw me drawing in class. After we were done with a quiz, I was bored and starting doodling."

His father nodded to motion him further along.

"And... and he saw it and yelled at me and took it and showed everyone."

Larry felt his stomach tie up into knots. "What?"

"It wasn't a-anything bad! Like it wasn't a naked girl or something, but he just showed it to everyone and then... then he ripped it apart in front of me."

"He did what?!" His fingers twitched. "Are you kidding me?!"

"No... so he didn't like... ring you or Mom today about it?"

"No. But... get this straight for me, he humiliated you for drawing?!"

Nick nodded. "Yeah. I tried so hard not to cry but he was just... an asshole to me and I thought... well, you know, Dad's a tough guy and maybe you could help out with this..."

A chuckle spilled out of Larry's mouth and he leaned back in his seat, but didn't say anything. He just sat there with his hands behind his head, his thoughts flowing through the cogs ticking in his rusty old brain as it tried to shake the cobwebs loose.

Nick looked on, hands wringing together in nervousness, wondering if it was a good idea after all to approach his father with this. But he got his answer when Larry leaned forward with a grin.

"What time does he get in tomorrow?"

* * *

Liza couldn't help but smile when, as she put on hear coat to get ready to head out to her graveyard shift, a lone piece of paper torn out from a notepad sat next to her sleeping husband. On it read only a few words.

 _'TO DO LIST_

 _1\. Sort out a problem for Nick'_

* * *

 _LOCATION: Autumn Point High School, Grasslands Kingdom_

 _TIME: 6:48AM_

A bitter and cold morning. Just as he liked it. Larry proved that by parking himself in front of the heater inside his car. Just as always, this kind of thing was just a waiting game. There was nothing suspicious about a grown adult sitting in a brown sedan outside a high school, he thought sarcastically to himself. Larry wouldn't be surprised if the APPD were tapping on his window in a couple of minutes.

But he would have just told the cops that he had better things to do than to prey on annoying teenagers.

The brown brick building sat outside his window, a wretched den of harsh education that saw many traffic each and every day. Tired students, overworked teachers, corrupt higher-ups taking all the credit for the hard work. He was just glad he never got into teaching. He idly tapped a claw on dashboard, trying to keep an eye out for his prey, but it was hard to keep awake when he hadn't had breakfast yet. Or a coffee. Or even a cigarette. All that he had was his 5 o'clock shadow and a winter jacket that just rustled annoyingly whenever he moved.

It had just ticked over to 7AM when he saw him. It wasn't that hard to spot in all honesty, but Larry could suddenly understand why the guy was so hated.

If there was ever one name for a balding, middle aged man such as the one Larry was seeing, it was 'greasy prick'. The word rang low in his throat as he braved the cold air outside.

"Hey!" He called out halfway across the parking lot. "Brotchley, right?!"

Brotchley span around, holding a briefcase and wearing what only Larry could describe as best he could a mustard stained knitted vest that screamed for mercy under his pot belly.

"What do you want?"

"I just want to talk about something between you and my son." He said coolly, approaching him with his hands in his pockets.

Brotchley snorted. "Yeah? Who's your kid then?"

"Nick. Nicholas Koopa. He takes your maths class."

"Your kid, huh?"

"Yeah. He's my kid," Larry intoned more harshly. "And do you know what he told me?"

What he got in reply was a dismissive hand. "Listen if you wanna complain, join the line. File it to the principal or whatever, I've got work to do here and- AGH!" He suddenly felt his arms being twisted, his head smashed against the bonnet on a car. "What the f-fuck is this- AGH!"

"You think you can fucking walk away from me you fat piece of shit, you got another thing coming," Larry held him down, his voice turning into a growl that reverberated through their ears. "What is this I hear about you embarrassing my son in front of your class?"

"I don't know what you're talking about- AAAGH!"

Larry dug his fingers into his arm further. "You can't be that mentally damaged, it happened yesterday. Answer again."

The teacher wriggled futilely. "H-he was drawing in my class!"

"He was done with his work. You had no reason to take it, show it to everyone and then rip it apart in front of him. Do you get off on being a prick to your students, huh?"

"H-help me! Assault-!" Larry slammed his head down again.

"Fucking listen to me. You're lucky you didn't do anything worse, otherwise I would have taken that briefcase you carry around and shoved it so far up your fucking ass that you would have been belching out test scores. I don't care what mid-life crisis you're going through but you are not going to take it out on my son. Why are you a teacher? If you're going to be a grade-A asshole to the kids who rely on you for guidance and support then I suggest that you quit your fucking job.

Now, if I hear from Nick again that you've done something to him I will follow you home, break into your house and shove your head into a fucking television. Do you hear me?"

Brotchley still struggled - a lot of energy for a big man. "I- I..."

"Do. You. Hear. Me?" Larry repeated.

"YES! Yes I do!"

Satisfied, Larry let go. The teacher spun around, looking at him in horror before scrambling to pick up his suitcase and running straight into the building scared out of his wits. Sighing and rubbing his temples, Larry simply turned around and began to walk back to his car.

He was caught off guard by maniacal laughing and clapping to his left.

"Were you really going to put a television on his head?"

Larry frowned at the stranger, wondering if he was going to suddenly bark his sins at him. "What? No! Of course not!" He looked up and down at him - ragged clothes, a weird almost twitchy look. A homeless guy most likely. "Anyway, none of your business."

"It wasn't really, but I couldn't help but overhear it anyway. I was passing by and just couldn't help but see what you were up to."

"Look, what the fuck do you want? Money? I don't have any."

"Oh come on Larry, surely I don't look that terrible! Don't you recognise me?"

Larry stared at him.

The stranger threw his arms out.

"It's me, Iggy!"

* * *

 _A/N: I promise there won't be too many OC's - this fic is definitely a lot of Koopalings but it's got a slow build up. Thank you for reading!_


	3. Wonderful Friends Old and New

**CHAPTER 3 - Wonderful Friends Old and New**

"It's me, Iggy!"

The moment of recognition came over Larry's face before he went pale, not believing what he was seeing. "No... no fucking way," He stuttered, taking steps back from the ghost that was before him. "What the fuck are you doing here?"

"Where are you going Larry?!" Iggy shouted after him. "I thought this was a nice reunion!"

"Fuck off! After what you and Ludwig did to us?! You're lucky I don't turn you into a fucking hood ornament right now!"

"What?!" He limped after him. "First of all, I did not do anything of that nature. I did not betray you! I don't know who told you what, but what Ludwig did was all himself, okay?"

Larry whipped around. "And you're telling me that the nerd who knows the exact date of when someone is going to eat an egg salad sandwich didn't know what Ludwig was up to? I'm not dumb, Iggy!"

"I make mistakes too Lawrence! It happened and it was out of our control! I don't need you lecturing me on this. He was smart and he knew what he was doing. He flew under everyone's noses, including mine. So if you're going to get mad at me for something I genuinely didn't know about then you're the one who should be a hood ornament. Because you have the intelligence of one!"

"I should still wrap my hands around your greasy neck, you prick! You left me and Roy to die!"

"I didn't leave anyone to die! I was sitting in a server room miles away from you guys, how could I have done anything?!"

He threw his hands up in frustration, before slamming them down onto the bonnet of his car. "I don't know," Larry sighed, his chest heaving. "I don't fucking know."

"Hey tough guy," Iggy said, splaying his arms out. "We can fight here in the parking lot of your son's high school or we can go and get a coffee and catch up on the old times."

Looking over his shoulder at him briefly, Larry regarded Iggy with a wide eyed expression.

"You're joking, right?"

"What?"

"That's bullshit and you know it. You want to act like we're friends again when I know what you're here for."

Tutting, Iggy grabbed his arm and began to usher him down the street. "Walk and talk, friend, walk and talk. There will be time for explanations soon. I need something to warm me up," He looked up and over to Larry with a hopeful look. "I'll even pay."

Sneering, Larry folded his arms and followed. Whatever.

He could use a coffee.

* * *

"You're a caffeine man still, huh?"

Larry didn't reply. Instead he stared at the steam swirling up from his cup.

"So... you didn't know?"

"Nope," Iggy shook his head. "I swear on my life I had no idea."

They were sitting at the local park that was next to the school on a dirty bench. It had warmed up, but Larry still felt chills running down his spine as he listened to Iggy's voice. Remembering every little memory, his voice crystal clear and not talking through a microphone... it was strange to see the man behind that voice. The years hadn't treated him well though.

"Why do I have so much trouble believing you though?"

Iggy laughed and mimicked typing on a keyboard. "Because I know everything digitally. It's a reasonable connection to make but believe me, Ludwig was even better. He hid his tracks so well."

"And now he's reaping what he's sown," Larry took a sip. "You have no idea how betrayed I feel still, Iggy."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah."

Silence fell between them. Larry's temper had fell as the hot drink warmed his insides and it was apparent how much he was starting to actually process what was happening. That didn't mean he was exactly happy with Iggy still. Far from it.

Iggy started. "Well... I know you didn't say anything to the cops."

"How could I? I suppose despite everything, you all had been good and professional. Besides, even if I wanted to rat everyone out I couldn't."

"Oh, that's right," Iggy adjusted his glasses with a laugh. "You still don't know who was the one pulling the strings."

"I figured it out."

"Huh?"

Larry smirked and swirled his cup around. "It's our faithful Darklands representative, isn't it? He had the same voice, the same tone... it wasn't hard to pick out when I saw him on the news," He shot a toothy grin Iggy's way. "So that's what you were hiding from us, huh?"

"I didn't even know him until you and Roy were incarcerated. He pulled me aside personally a few months afterwards."

"Ludwig didn't say anything then?"

"How could he?" He took a sip as well. "He didn't have a name or a face to put to him. Besides, there's a lot more than one Bowser in the world and his tracks were covered pretty neatly. Ludwig wishes he could have nailed him. Still... what a catch that was. An international group of thieves caught and scattered to the wind."

"I hope he's proud of himself." Larry growled. "So, what does the big man want anyway?"

Iggy shrugged and threw his cup away. "I don't know," He replied honestly. "He's put me on a need-to-know basis only until you come on board."

"And what if I don't?"

"I don't know either. He won't be happy though."

"Poor baby," Larry cooed sarcastically. "Big man should learn that not everything is handed out for free."

"So what, you want to charge him for your services? Are you a mercenary now?" Iggy chuckled, not sure how to comprehend what his old friend was saying to him or what he would have to tell Bowser if he came back with nothing. "I thought you were our leader, a noble thief and all that?"

The koopa pointed a finger at him. "We were not noble Iggy. We were common thieves prancing around as professionals. Codes and morals and honor mean nothing when we were all hiding in the shadows, stealing from either corrupt rich people or the average Joe who wanted to make a cent, but we made his life a living hell because the bank we blew a hole in to take all the money put all the pressure on them."

"But think of the action. He says this is a simple job; a break into a big bank. Nothing too serious. Just one last thing for Bowser to get and then he'll do anything we want."

"Do you honestly think he'll let us get away with that? We do it, we're bought and paid for by the corrupt politicians who might want a slice of our services. Then we're right back to where we were. Waiting on hand and foot for those kind of scum," He sighed. "Look Iggy... I know he's got you by the balls. But I can't, in all good conscience, go back to that life. You can tell Bowser that I'm six feet in the ground because I have my own life, I have a wife and a kid. What about you?"

Iggy snorted and looked indignant. "I don't need that."

"That's because the only thing you'd have sex with is a computer tower."

"Wow."

He slapped him on the shoulder as he began to walk away. "That's my answer. Tell him that he's going to have to find someone else to do his work."

"Larry," Iggy said, making him pause. "Bowser knows about you."

Larry froze.

"... of course. You've been stalking me."

"And it's not off the cards for him to target your wife and child," He balked slightly when Larry spun around and he saw glitters of red in his eyes. "Don't shoot the messenger. I'm just offering you an ultimatum."

"Yeah you would, you slimy shitbag." He had Iggy grabbed by the collar, but not lifting him up yet.

He felt a bit silly when Iggy simply laughed at him. "C'mon. You can bluff and bluster all you want but you know you have no choice in this. Bowser is more powerful than ever. Give him a chance. Come down to Neo City, listen to what he has to say. Then you can tell him in person if you're still going to spit this opportunity back in his face. Then you can show how tough you are, tough guy." The corners of his mouth twitched when Larry growled again and let him go, shoving him away.

The wind howled between the two former friends. Larry tried hard not to look at this beast in the eyes that had been corrupted throughout the years. What the hell had gotten into him? He knew the kid was mentally unstable to some degree, they all had to be to do what they did, but he couldn't believe that in the years that he thought he knew Iggy, that he was threatening him like this.

It was a far cry from the distant memories of banter back-and-forth while Morton worked on a lockpick to a depository full of jewelery or when they shared a drink in the old safe-house after a successful night. Praising his team for all their hard work...

Iggy interrupted him. "I'll give you a few hours to tell your wife and prepare. Pack some clothes and whatever. I'll come pick you up."

He spun around to look at him but Iggy had already disappeared deep into the fog, his frame a mere silhouette shaded in a sea of blinding white. He could only curse the back of Iggy's head before he dropped out of sight and Larry resumed to sitting back down in despair.

What had come to this?

Larry tried to think of what Shaw would say, to rationalize this. But knowing him he'd probably say, "This is out of your control."

What choice did he have?

But then he remembered.

He had a choice.

* * *

"Larry? What's wrong?"

Liza had ambushed him in the hallway. Good. At least he could just tell her the truth straight away and be done with this.

"Lize, I..."

"Ding-dong!" Iggy called out before splaying himself up against the door frame, only chuckling when Liza stared at him with wide eyes. "Hey Liza, you're looking well!" He turned to Larry. "Have you just gotten home? Well come on, hurry up!"

Liza pointed a finger accusingly. "Larry, is this... what is he doing here?!"

"I have a name, you know."

"Iggy, shut up," Larry growled at him before turning back to his wife. "Lize, I... they found me."

"What? They found you?" She replied uncertainly, as if she was trying to process the statement. "Who? You mean..." Her eyes gazed over to Iggy, looking at him up and down with all the mirth she could muster through her surprise.

"Yeah," Larry finished. "Iggy found me."

Iggy laughed and wrapped an arm around Larry, unaware or uncaring at his friend's expression of disgust. "That's me! Man, ten years and things look like they've gone well for you all. Hey, where's Nick? I remember seeing him when he was a little toddler!"

"Iggy, shut up."

"Yeah 'Iggy'," Liza shot at the hobo standing next to her husband. "Because if you're going to take Larry to do more of your stealy-wheely bullshit, I don't think that's the case. Right Larry?"

He could only grimace. "It's not that simple."

"Not that simple? So you're going then? You're just dropping everything we've done here and you're heading off to be a professional thief again?"

"Lize..."

"Don't 'Lize' me, Lawrence Koopa!"

"Liza, please, if I don't do this they'll hurt you."

"Who?!" She looked positively insane now. "Who the fuck is going to hurt us?! Is it him?" She pointed at Iggy again. "Because I don't think he could hurt anything. I'd like to see him try."

Larry sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. "No. It's someone much, much more powerful than any of us. I can't afford it Liza... believe me, if I could I would have kicked this son of a bitch to the curb."

"But you can't. Because a big boogeyman is going to hurt us if you don't, right?" Liza threw up her hands. "Fine. No, I understand Lawrence..."

"Liza..."

"You run off with your buddies, maybe get thrown in prison again, spend another six years while I raise Nick on my own. Don't worry Larry, I can't wait until he gets back and I have to tell him that his deadbeat father has gone off to a life of crime again," She began to push him. He didn't try to fight back. "Get out of this house! I can't stand this shit anymore!"

Larry resisted, just a little. "Liza please. Don't let it come to this."

"Out! Out!"

They were on the lawn, the guilty husband pleading to his heartbroken wife. The neighbours would have a field day with this.

"Please, Liza... I love you," Larry said quietly to her, head bowed. "I'm sorry it had to be this way."

"Don't bother fucking ringing me and don't bother coming back if you don't change your mind."

The door slamming was an all too familiar sound and he visibly flinched when it reverberated throughout the area. Larry stared, hoping that a little part of Liza would change her mind and just open the door, run out and hug him and just understand what he had suddenly been dragged into. Iggy giggled from behind him, perched against the fence casually. He was probably thinking how pathetic and soft he had become.

The car unlocked with a beep. "Hey, at least she hasn't divorced you yet."

Larry stared daggers forged from the pits of hell at him. "Just shut up and get in the fucking car before I stuff you into the trunk."

"After you, my friend."

He got into the passenger seat with a grunt. "If we're friends, then I'm Queen Toadstool."

Iggy laughed and got into the driver's seat. "Road trip!" He exclaimed excitedly, as if he had just forgotten what had transpired or how Larry wanted to murder him right there and then. The brown, rusted car shuddered to life with a groan before it began to jut down the residential street. Larry watched forlornly as the house disappeared from the rear view mirror.

"So," Iggy started as they rejoined the main road. "This is like old times, huh? You and me, coming together for another job. Just like when Ludwig and I picked you up for your first score."

Larry said nothing, instead electing to stare out the window.

"Do you remember the first score?"

Again, nothing.

"Larry, I'm talking to you."

Larry simply looked at him. Iggy must have understood, because he started doing that maniacal giggling again like a clown on laughing gas.

"Okay be that way," He turned on the radio and began tapping away to the music. "We got a few hours ahead of us before we get to our safe-house in Neo City and I would have liked to spend it catching up."

"What is there to talk about? Besides, I don't care what you've been up to."

They rolled out over the hills with the Autumn Valley National Park to their right. The treetops were ablaze with beautiful orange fall colours and the clouds were settled on the mountains in the distance. It was so tempting to just jump out of the car and run in the woods and attempt an escape. To be free again... that was already tempting.

"You'll talk again," Iggy sounded resolute. "You'll come around eventually, if I know you."

Think again, Larry thought to himself as he continued to stare. He just hoped that Liza and Nick would forgive him and understand.

* * *

A jolt rustled Larry awake suddenly. "H-huh?" He spluttered as he rolled his stiff neck and felt the joints inside crack with relief.

"We're here," Iggy replied, pointing out the window to his left. "Neo City."

Neo City was a magnificent place, as said by many who visited and lived there. It was a bright shining light in the better geographical area of the Darklands Kingdom, the rooftops alight with neon signs that sat snugly on the outer rims of the buildings. A mix of blue and yellow lights created a vivid picture in the horizon as the car carrying Larry towards his doom drove down the highway on the outer skirts of the city. It was raining, as it usually was, due to the proximity of being near active volcanoes.

It gave him shivers looking out, thinking about the various times they had been here. It felt weird to come back to a city that they had once wrecked havoc in and wondered, curiously, whether they managed to patch the internal damage that they caused many years ago.

"Sort of feels like home, doesn't it?" Iggy spoke again wistfully.

Larry begged to differ. "No."

It was in the evening - the lights on the highway had just activated. What a cramped car this was. He struggled to stretch and ease his tired bones.

"Don't worry old man, we'll be there soon."

"Shut up."

They rumbled down onto the exit ramp, Larry spying the roadsigns that went past them. He had a feeling he knew where he was being taken.

"So this safe-house," He started. "Your own pad?"

"Nope. Sponsored by the big man himself."

"Good. I'd hate to have to share a living space with you."

Iggy gave a 'tch' noise. "How rude."

The wind picked up as the sky grew darker, the illumination of the downtown district behind them as Iggy weaved through some side roads. The architecture changed quickly, going from clean and sleek high-rise apartments to dirty and awful looking brick warehouses. During the day it was a place that saw action that kept the city and the greater region alive with imports and exports but it was starting to tone down and become quiet. He watched as Iggy drove straight through a dockyard checkpoint and headed towards the furthest warehouse down by the water.

Iggy assured him. "Don't worry, this place got closed down and abandoned ages ago."

"I wouldn't think Bowser was dumb enough to set us up in a busy dockyard," Larry replied with an eye roll. "So this is it, huh?"

"Knowing you, you grumpy goose, you wouldn't like it. But it grows on you."

The sea salt hit him as soon as he stepped out. "Geez." He muttered to himself as he stretched, sighing in relief as his shoulders and back cracked satisfyingly.

"Welcome to our home away from home," Iggy said proudly, standing in front of the warehouse.

 _LOCATION: Abandoned Dockyards, Industrial District, Neo City, Darklands Kingdom_

 _TIME: 6:21PM_

It looked pretty normal - fire escape stairs to what Larry supposed it led to a second level catwalk, coated in slick plaster from the constant rainfall. "No one knows we're here and it's safe and secluded. Perfect for our needs."

Larry couldn't say no. It could have been more decent though.

Despite his injuries, Iggy was more than capable of opening the garage door in front of them. Above them, a security camera buzzed.

"We have cameras here?"

"Huh?" Iggy looked up momentarily, then brightened up. "Yeah! Bowser threw it in and got someone to help me install it. Speaking of whom..." He threw the door up, a loud bang and rattling reverberating into the wind and rain. Larry couldn't believe this eyes - inside was an entire set up! A garage, a weapons depot, living quarters and a planning hall, all separated by glass windowed rooms. It was clean and fresh on the inside. There was no way Bowser did this on his own.

It was a bit of a shock to Larry to see things so set up, so organized and clean. It could fool anyone if they wandered into the dockyard.

Much to his confusion, Iggy called out. "We're back!"

Someone else was here too.

A door opened at the end of the warehouse that seemed to lead into another back room, with a voice that Larry hadn't heard before.

"You got him?!"

"Yes, I did! Go get him on the line, I wanna introduce him!"

The stranger sounded young. He wasn't a teenager, Larry deduced. "Who...?"

"Come on, come on," His 'friend' ushered him towards the office. "You've gotta talk to Bowser first!"

He was standing next to a security setup - computers, multiple screens with camera hookups to what Larry presumed was all over the dockyard. Next to the desk was a drawer with a simple landline phone on it, hunched over it was the person that Larry didn't recognize. Iggy sat down on the chair as the stranger addressed him.

"Just calling him now, sir!"

Iggy laughed. "Good! And you don't have to call me 'sir', it's Iggy. Oh! So..." He motioned to Larry and then back to the kid. "Lawrence, this is our newest addition. Meet Bowser's son, Bowser II."

The kid stood proud before sticking his hand out. "Call me 'Junior', it's easier that way!"

Larry took his hand reluctantly, his eyes flicking back and forth between Iggy and 'Junior', trying to comprehend this sudden introduction all of a sudden. "I'm... Larry."

"Yep. Iggy told me about you! You were the leader."

"Yeah..."

Bowser 'Junior' stood before him, almost a splitting image of what his father looked like; firey-red hair that burned with a lot of fury, bunched up into a mohawk and ponytail at the back. He wore a simple hoodie that still looked damp and from where he was standing, Larry could tell that he was strong as well. He took after his father in a lot of ways it seemed, including turning to a life of crime. He looked over him skeptically with a question burning in his mind.

"How old are you, kid?"

Junior tilted his head. "I'm nineteen."

He turned to Iggy. "Bowser sent his nineteen year old kid to work with us?"

"Woah there!" Iggy replied, holding his hands out. "Are you implying that he's not capable?"

"One, I haven't seen him and what he can do. Two, he should be in college and not robbing banks or whatever we're going to do!"

Junior spoke up. "Hey I'm just as good as anyone. I can shoot, I can fight, I can do anything!"

"Kid it isn't just about fighting and shooting, besides that's not what we did-"

Bowser's voice suddenly filled the room with an echoing and crackly filter thanks to the ancient state of the phone. "Hello?"

"Boss!" Iggy jumped in, taking over. "Good news, I found Lawrence!"

A low rumbling chuckle came from the phone. "Wonderful Ignatius, I always had faith and trust in you. Is Lawrence with you right now?"

Larry cleared his throat. "Right here."

"Lawrence!" Again, he adopted that polite, calming tone that Larry had heard a lot of politicians did. He didn't like it. "How are you, my boy? Long time no see!"

"For you, maybe. For me I've been seeing you for quite a while."

Bowser laughed. "And I suppose Ignatius told you who I was all along then?"

"No. I figured it out. It wasn't that hard."

"You were always perceptible, Lawrence. Nothing ever got by you."

Larry folded his arms. "Except when it did." Junior looked at him with confusion.

"Hey, all in the past now!" Bowser reassured him. "Now that you're on board we can begin to get the rest of everyone back. I will leave everything up to Ignatius, as he will brief you all on what you need to do. Oh, have you met my son Bowser II, Lawrence?"

"Indeed," He looked at the young kid with his arms still folded and a brow raised. "Forgive me sir, but I'm failing to understand what the point is."

He must have assumed that Iggy had told him, because his tone was a little confused. "He's your replacement for Ludwig, of course!"

Replacement? Junior was going to be his second-in-command?

"Now I know what you'd be thinking Lawrence, but trust me when I say that Junior will serve you well, if not better, than Ludwig. He has been well-educated, well-trained in firearms and hand-to-hand combat and he knows Neo City like the back of his hand, having grown up here. I trust him and you should too." He made it sound like it was no big deal.

Larry tried to stifle a laugh when Junior beamed at his father's praises. "Okay..."

"I must go now. Please do to contact me back when everyone else is there."

Iggy nodded. "Sure thing boss. Talk to you later." After hanging up, he threw himself back onto his chair and splayed his arms out. "Well then! That went well. You actually behaved yourself, Lawrence."

Larry didn't reply.

"Anyway we should set up a battle plan before we do anything else, then we need to get something to eat I am hungry," Iggy rolled over to his computer and began to type, ushering Larry and Junior over. "Okay so... we have three choices for us to pursue here; Lemmy, Morton and Wendy."

"What about Roy?" Larry asked. "He's still in prison."

"All in due time Larry, all in due time. We need everyone else anyway, because I don't think we could wait for him to serve his sentence if you catch me."

Junior replied with a nod and a chuckle.

"Fine. What are they up to?"

Documents littered the screen, full of notes that Iggy had apparently taken during his research over the years. Pictures, addresses, conversations... the whole nine yards. Larry shuddered to think what dirt that he had on him, and was thankful that he was at least decent enough to keep here and not sell it or something.

"Lemmy, or should I call his alias 'Remy', is working as a pyrotechnics technician for a traveling circus called 'Koopie's Wonderful Traveling Carnival'. It travels all around the kingdoms with their imported human animals and their ballerina acrobats or whatever and perform for the masses," Iggy bought up a black-and-white picture, a blurry one so drenched with grain Larry couldn't make out anything. But Iggy pointed to a splotch in the lower left hand corner like it was nothing. "Had been following their schedules, caught this snap of him in a backwoods town called Oakton or whatever. This wasn't too long ago so he's still working there."

"Lemmy was our explosives guy," Larry explained as if he was trying to remind himself. "He's not really high priority at the moment but we do need him. What about Morton?"

Iggy obliged. "Morton lives in the Snowy Kingdom, in the town of North Windswept Hills under the name 'Vincent'. However he's recently taken an oil rig job out in the middle of the Cool Ice Ocean so I'll need to think of some way how to get to him, but if I were you Lawrence, I would go for him first. He's the engineer, after all. Having that expertise would be good to have early."

"I agree with you... for once."

"And lastly, we have Wendy. Seems like she's just been running a garage business in the Plains Kingdom. Nothing too special there, aside from seeing her services advertised a couple of times online. Weirdly enough though, she hasn't gotten a new name. Maybe she doesn't feel paranoid about getting caught."

Larry couldn't help but chuckle. "Yeah, that sounds like her... fuck," He hanged his head in despair. He couldn't believe he had to drag everyone out of their peaceful lives for this shit. "And Roy..."

"We'll get to him when the time comes. I'll see if I can get Bowser to pull a few strings, maybe bail him out early or if worse comes to worse, we jump a transfer. I don't know. We'll need to figure that out when we've got everyone else together."

"And we'll start with Morton."

"Yep," Iggy began tapping on the computer again. "You two can go to the Snowy Kingdom then and get Morton back here. I can stay here and keep an eye on things."

Larry folded his arms and looked at him ungracefully. "Yeah, make me do all the hard work."

"Come on, let's get something to eat," Iggy ignored him. "I'm starving. I bet you guys are too."

"Let's get some takeaway..." Junior suggested as they left the office, leaving Larry all alone with his thoughts.

What the hell had he gotten himself into?

* * *

 _A/N: Nothing much to say here. Things are slowly getting into action and characters are being introduced._


	4. First Things First

**CHAPTER 4 - First Things First**

 _LOCATION: FROZEN HIGHWAY, SNOWY KINGDOM_

 _TIME: 7:19PM_

It was weird to think of a time when Larry was young and innocent. He felt so divorced from that frame of mind that it felt surreal that the memories that he hadn't thought about in a long time bubbled to the surface, long before he started robbing people. Before he was recruited by the demons that he called his friends. It was a time where it was him and the only parental figure in his life that cared about him.

The rumbling of the car beneath his feet, his palms resting casually on the steering wheel and the lights along the highway being mere specks of a distant orange glow in the distance asking for him to trust them to lead the way. Was this what his mother felt on those days? When she'd take him on road trips down to the beach, driving on an endless corridor with the radio quietly singing a soothing tune before winding over the cliffs and seeing the end of the world.

It was ironic that he'd taken her place considering who was sitting in the passenger seat next to him.

Bowser Junior sat leaned up against the door, snuggled deeply into his hooded jacket with his eyes closed. Larry could only regard the kid with a weird sort of second-hand nostalgia and worry. Worry that he knew he had no right to feel, but still did anyway.

His breath was still visible with each puff. The heating wasn't working properly.

"We there yet?" Junior mumbled. Apparently he was still awake... barely, though.

Larry shook his head. "Not yet. Got another hour to go."

The young man groaned in annoyance. "We've been on the road for seven hours."

"Don't complain. Deal with it."

Yep, it was like being with a kid again. But it was hard to admit that even Larry was like that once upon a time. He could only laugh at how dumb you always seemed to be in the past and continued driving on. After all, time never ceased.

"Why are you so angry all the time?"

"What?" Larry frowned. "I'm not."

Junior replied with an indignant tone. "Yeah, you are. Ever since we met you've been nothing but that."

"Look kid, here's the thing; you might be the son of a very wealthy and influential politician but that doesn't mean I have to be nice to you," He continued looking straight ahead. "I'm only doing this because I have to. If I don't, your father will hurt my wife and kid... or even worse."

"What? He wouldn't do that."

"You're young. I wouldn't expect you to know what happened back then and how he is."

"Um, I grew up with him," Junior argued with his arms still tucked around his sides. "I would think I know a lot more about him than you would."

Larry regarded him with skepticism. "Oh yeah?"

"Yeah."

"And I should take your word for it?"

Junior gave him a stern look. "Yeah. You should."

After he had rolled over in his seat and began to stare out of the window Larry could only be thankful that Iggy wasn't there with them now. The burner phone sat heavily in his pocket, having replaced it's more modern and stylish counterpart (which Iggy had unceremoniously taken from Larry and pulled it apart for security reasons, something which he wasn't exactly happy about). It was a brick that Larry swore could have been made before even Bowser had been born. But it was their only communication. It had been insisted upon.

Just making sure no one is able to get in on us, Iggy explained.

"So what happened between you and Ludwig?"

Larry jolted, not expecting Junior to still be awake. "For fucks sake," He sighed. "I don't know. Things happened. Life happened."

"That's not an answer."

"Look, what do you want me to do? Give you my whole life story? You're not my therapist."

The kid didn't budge. "We're going to be working together so I think we need to be open with each other."

"No. I'm fine." He thought being on a long road-trip with Iggy was bad enough. "Look 'J', I'll be frank with you. Not because I like you or I respect you or you're my boss's son, but just so you'll shut up. Nothing good comes of getting to know your teammates. You end up being friends but, in the end, no one is worth being friends with. Because they'll stab you in the back no matter what. I'm doing this because I know what these guys are capable of. I respect them for their work, not for their personality. So if you think we'll be friends you're mistaken."

Nothing but silence from the young adult next to him. Ironically enough, Larry had been anticipating an answer when none came.

"Trust me kid," He murmured, his expression dropping to something that Junior hadn't seen before. "When you have a wife and a kid, nothing else in the world matters."

The town of Windswept Hills called out to them as they rounded a particularly big mountain, a tunnel that was carved straight through it, the streets lined up before them. Larry hadn't traveled much outside of work and even then, they were confined to more urban areas. Honestly, Morton could have chosen worse. A nice and large seaside town that actually had electricity.

It was snowing pleasantly as they drove further in, Larry having asked his passenger to spot any sort of motel to stay at for the night.

Eventually they settled in on any building that had vacancy.

"I'm going to kill Iggy..." Larry mumbled to himself as he stepped out of the car for the first time in about three hours. The temperature was below what he could consider comfortable, but then again he didn't grow up in the snow. Junior quickly disappeared into the motel lobby, apparently not a big fan of the weather himself.

At least they had that in common.

The room that they got wasn't much better - in fact, it made Larry feel like he was reflecting on the current state of his life; alone, scared and cold, feeling like he couldn't have reached the depths any lower.

One thing was for certain though, he thought to himself as he stared at the pitch black ceiling in bed that night, that Morton was going to come with them no matter what.

* * *

 _LOCATION: BEANSON AND SON ENGINEERING OFFSHORE OIL PLATFORM, SNOWY KINGDOM_

 _TIME: 8:51AM The Next Day_

Another day, more work to be done. Vincent always took that motto in stride. An engineer's work was never done. There were always more opportunities for more. At least, that was what his bosses had said to them. It always made him laugh to know that his bosses actually meant that, and it wasn't some lies designed to boost morale. At least he wasn't working an office job.

Whistling a little tune to himself, he grabbed his hardhat. They always say a hardhat was an extension of oneself, at least in the case of engineers. There wouldn't be much to look at in a sea of the same identical helmets though, running up and down and all around the seemingly endless expanse of metal, but Vincent was a distinct person. Not because of his brown scales, a lot of koopas had those, but his prominent birthmark emblazoned on the left side of his face. It always led to some light teasing but Vincent was generally okay with it. He had gotten used to it a long time ago.

"Wow." He breathed to himself as he stepped outside of his living quarters bundled in his work attire; high visibility vest on top of a black knitted winter shirt. He tipped his helmet up to get a view of the ocean before him. Nature never ceased to amaze him, even if he was in the profession that directly interfered with it.

Some breakfast and a warm coffee later, Vincent felt ready to tackle his duties. Two weeks on, two weeks off. That was the deal. He was getting close to his two weeks being up though, but what the heck could do back in Windswept? Nothing much except sit in his apartment and play video games.

At least he could catch up on whatever he's missed.

He waved to a couple of his coworkers. "Morning." He always greeted people in a friendly, warm and yet slightly goofy voice.

"Hey Vince," One of them said, grinning with a cup in his hand. "Long day ahead, huh?"

Vincent nodded. "Yep. But hey, not too far. At least I'll be inside."

"Don't act too excited about it," They chuckled with mirth. "You know the boss will put you out on the deck checking the pipes."

"As long as it pays the bills."

Waving them off with a goodbye and adjusting his helmet, Vincent made his way to his work area. The day was just beginning and so was his workload. The spreadsheet he held in his hand made sure of that.

He had his head down inside a machine trying to query a fault with it; apparently the eggheads were running into a mechanical problem. Vincent's expertise amounted to working more with valves and flows and drawing out mathematics to help design machines, not computers, but he had a bit of knowledge and he was the closest engineer there. It wasn't hard to notice how hot the inside was. "Eh? Is the cooling working in this thing?"

"I don't know." Was the predictable answer, but Vincent knew that the fan inside had broken and wasn't cooling the machine sufficiently enough. Luckily it wasn't anything important - the computer was simply used for security purposes and as far as anyone knew, no one had managed to get on board. Yet.

"Easy," He said with confidence as he stood up and clapped his hands free of dust. "Just needs a replacement fan. Got plenty of spare parts down below."

A few flights down, another coworker ran into him; a short and stout goomba. "Hey Vincent," His tone sounded concerned. "You heard?"

"No. Heard what?"

"Surprise visit from the safety inspector."

"Shit," He swore under his breath. "I'm just fixing a computer."

The goomba laughed. "Better make it quick, the guy seems harsh. More so than the last one!"

"Thanks for the heads up." Now he really was in a rush. If anyone that was important caught onto the fact that one of the security computers was down, that would be a disastrous fault on the oil platform. The spare parts storeroom below deck was stacked high with spare parts in case of emergencies... like the rig drowning. Luckily, it didn't taken Vincent long to find what he was looking for; a fan and some simple screws. Easy!

The egghead at the computer had heard the news as well, as he looked more anxious than usual. "Come on, replace it."

Vincent regarded him skeptically. "I'm not using this for personal use, of course I'm doing it." Shaking his head, he began to work. However his big hands and toned muscles were a bit of an obstacle for his size and he ended up cursing all things modern in his mind for the entirety of the replacement.

The door opened right as he was putting it back together. Three figures walked in, one which was his boss and the other two he assumed was the inspector and his... apprentice? Vincent didn't think that they took on interns but maybe he was getting too old for this world.

"Ah!" Beanson walked over to him. "This is Vincent. One of my best workers!"

The inspectors expression changed slightly. "Huh. Vincent... you can vouch for him?"

"O-of course! Graduated top of his class, works hard and diligently, respectful and courteous in all manners. A proper employee."

"A 'proper' employee?" He raised a brow at this, waggling his pencil. "Well... ignoring that, may I please speak with Vincent in private?"

"Uh... sure."

Vincent felt very shy all of a sudden as the inspector lead him outside. The wind was picking up and whipping at his scarf, something Vincent noted was making the inspector shiver. This guy wasn't from here.

But then he said something that made his stomach drop.

"Surprised you didn't recognize me yet, Morton," Larry said with a grin under his own hardhat. "I haven't changed that much in ten years, haven't I?"

Morton blinked, feeling his past rush by him suddenly. "I.. wha-? What are you-? How did you-?"

"Ugh I don't know how he does it, but somehow the geek pulls through," Larry swept the frost away from his sleeves. "I'll admit, I didn't think this would work."

"Wait... what are you talking about Larry?"

"Your best friend? The psychotic geek? Iggy?"

Morton gasped. "Iggy's alive?"

"Everyone is, Mort."

"Shh," He hushed him. "Don't say my real name!"

"Sorry 'Vince'," Larry replied sarcastically. "So... I'll cut to the chase since Iggy didn't give me that pleasure when he found me but here's the rundown; Bowser has called us back."

A part of his brain seemed to short-circuit as it tried to comprehend what was just being said. "I... what?"

"Bowser has called us back and he wants us all together to do one last job for him," Larry repeated, a lot slower. "We're here to take you back to Neo City."

"What?"

"We need you back there. No choice about it," He gave a glance towards his companion. "Otherwise Bowser's going to do terrible things. Not just to us, but to everyone. That includes you."

Morton chuckled nervously. "L-Larry... you know I would like to, but I can't just leave. I work here, I have a life here."

"Freezing yourself silly is your life?"

"It's not that bad," He replied defensively. "Once you get used to the cold, it's quite nice."

Larry shook his head. "Not the point. Anyway, you are coming with us Morton."

"... that bad, huh?"

"Trust me."

"Come on guys," A younger voice cut in, shivering. "Let's get on with it and get out of here. I'm freezing!"

Beanson appeared out of nowhere. "So, are you done here with one of my star employees?" Larry blinked and then gave a smug grin, something which Morton recognized all too well; it was his charming liar face. He was surprised that he even still did that.

"Of course sir. But, Vincent has a stellar track record here," He tapped his clipboard for emphasis. "I'd like to recommend him to something... onshore."

"What? No way."

"Mr. Beanson, this is not up for discussion. My purpose, as well to make sure this oil platform is safe for workers and the environment alike, is to scout out potential talent for more... suitable projects." Morton tried to hide a grin - he was remembering how sleazy of a person Larry could be. Beanson however, was not amused.

"I didn't think safety inspectors could do that."

"Believe me sir, all part of a new initiative. But I will just need to borrow Vincent for a week or two, tops. He has potential to go more places than this platform and my superiors would be interested to see his work," Larry shot a look to him. "As much as I would not like to take away your prized workers it is part of something that I'm not at authority to disclose."

"Ugh, fine," He conceded, throwing his hands up. "Whatever. You suits are going to bleed me dry and then blame me when nothing gets done. Vincent, pack your stuff."

Morton tried to get a word in. "Wait, but-"

"Did you not hear the man Vincent? Go and get your stuff. We'll meet down below deck - I have my transportation waiting for you."

Well... Larry did imply that he didn't have a choice. However he also got the gut feeling that Larry was definitely being forced into this. This wasn't a reunion, at least one of his own accord. He figured that the ten year absence and lack of effort to contact him until now was proof of that.

But like any good engineer of his caliber, it was his job to help out and, most importantly, solve problems.

"When we get back to Neo City please tell Iggy I'm not doing disguise jobs again." Morton laughed at Larry's annoyance as they leaned over the railing of the ship, a whisp of smoke wafting up from Larry's cigarette. Morton never liked smoking. Larry was well beyond caring about anyone at the moment. "I will never speak to him again."

Now that they had time to relax, Morton could study his friend more closely. It was hard to believe that Larry was still alive and in front of him, young as he was and yet swearing and acting like an old man... or a child. His hair still had that magnificent sky blue colour that matched his eyes, but it was easy to see how it was speckled with brown at the roots. He always said that the blue was natural but now Morton was doubting that. It was easy to see that he had lead a more relaxed lifestyle - no doubt that his weight gain could be attributed to staying inside all day.

"I can't believe you dragged me off that thing." Morton said as he watched the structure disappear into the horizon.

Larry shrugged and threw his cigarette into the water. "Complain to the boss, he'll ignore it."

"Actually," The big male scratched the back of his head. "I don't really mind? I suppose... I mean, I was due for my leave."

"All the more convenient then. By the way, it'll be a seven or eight hour trip back to Neo City."

"Great."

He looked at him. "Just like old times, huh 'M'?"

A door slammed behind them - Junior had wandered out. "I tell ya guys, the captain is fucking crazy."

"Why?" Larry asked with an assuming smile that he tried to hide. "Did he try to offer you drugs again?"

"Yes."

Morton couldn't help but shake his head. "Where did you find this guy anyway?"

"Iggy."

That was the only bit of clarity that Morton had had on the way back; it explained a lot if Iggy hadn't changed.

Judging by Larry's choice of words... he was probably telling the truth.

* * *

 _A/N: Again, thank you for reviews and reading and all that fine stuff! Sorry this one came out a bit late, I'm taking my time and deliberating a lot over small things (terrible habit x-x)_


	5. Enter Lemmy

**CHAPTER 5 - Enter Lemmy**

 _LOCATION: MAIN STREET, OAKTON TOWN, WOODED KINGDOM_

 _TIME: 10:41AM_

At least the drive hadn't been quite as long. Only a good three hours to cross over into the Wooded Kingdom and they had found Oakton relatively easy. Larry had seen his fair share of small towns in his life. In contrast to Junior though, whom he figured hadn't stepped outside of a city in his life. If it wasn't so cold in Windswept Hills, he imagined that Junior would have taken to it with that weird childlike sense of curiosity he always tried to hide.

Poor kid, he thought to himself as he caught Junior's wandering looks out of the corner of his vision. It seemed like having a terrible father was a given, although he was smart enough to not say that out loud.

The weather, for once, had been pleasant as they ambled down Main Street with coffee cups in their hands. The sun filtered its light through the treetops as cars and pedestrians rolled by, all going about their daily commute. Larry found himself looking mostly at the various shops and mentally calculating how much it was probably worth. He had made it a rule to never target local businesses, as he felt it did nothing but hurt honest people trying to get by. After all, he knew how much it sucked being poor.

He threw his cup into a trash can as they walked by. "Okay," He pulled out his burner phone. "Let's do this."

Junior nodded in response as Larry dialed in the number and waited. It only took a few rings before it picked up.

"Hello?"

"It's me."

"So you made it there Lawrence?"

Larry rolled his eyes - he hated it when Iggy used his full name. "Yeah. We're just heading to the circus now. Will ring you up when we get him."

"Roger that."

"Aren't you worried?" Junior piped up.

Larry stowed the phone back into his pocket. "Huh?"

"Aren't you worried," He repeated. "That someone would hear what we're saying?"

"Good question kid, but no one cares," Larry gestured to the people walking by them. "If there's one thing about people that I love, it's that they're mostly wrapped up in their own problems to care about yours. But, I'll give you that, it's a good idea to keep a lid on things. But this is pretty low stakes at the moment." He took a deep breath and scanned for anything that seemed out of the ordinary. Thankfully there was nothing that he could spy... maybe he was just getting paranoid.

It wouldn't be the first time he had continuously looked over his shoulder since he left home. Even the relative safety of an old abandoned warehouse down at the docks did little to ease his anxiety.

"We're looking for a circus," Junior said out loud. "Can't be that hard to find one. Not like they're common or anything."

"It's not that hard; it's what we call politics."

Larry let a juvenile snort escape his mouth at his own joke. Junior looked at him with an unamused expression... until he shrugged and gave a small smile.

"Yeah, I guess that's true," He conceded. "Please don't tell Papa I said that."

He winked at the young man. "Don't worry kid, I'm good at keeping secrets."

It seemed like 'Koopie's' was still in town, judging by the amount of signs and banners detailing the arrival. They'd only been in town for a week and were probably getting ready to hit the road onto the next location. There was no rush considering that they could just follow them, but Larry would rather deal with the minimal amount of traveling as possible.

When they passed a large banner with an arrow pointing to where it was Larry knew that it wasn't just some weird fever dream that he was going through at the moment; he really was going to the circus to convince one of the people there to rob a bank. Stranger things could probably happen, but for Larry this was pretty high up on the list at the moment.

"Hey boys!" The ticketeer greeted them with a smile. "Just in time for the last day of Koopie's!"

"Great," He drummed his fingers on the counter. "So... just two adults, please."

"Sure thing! Two adults... is your son a student?" He asked, pointing to Junior. "If so, I can discount it."

Larry tried desperately not to react to that comment. You wish, he thought to himself as Junior took over.

"No, I'm not. Don't worry about it, I've got us covered."

He'd dumped two thirty dollar coins and one ten coin onto the counter that had seemingly magicked out of nowhere. Larry went to ask where he had gotten it from, but it was a dumb question to an obvious answer. It was Bowser's money. They walked in, tickets in hand, with Larry wondering how he could break it to his boss that his son had just bought the both of them tickets to a carnival.

"Okay," He breathed. "Time to look for him. We're not stopping for anything, okay? I don't want to be out here any longer than I have to be."

Junior looked disappointed. "Aw, you're no fun."

"Nothing about this is fun. Especially what I'm about to do to Lemmy," They began to walk towards the great big tent in the distance. "I'll tell you one thing though J; I can't be surprised that Lemmy ran off to the circus."

"How come?"

Larry smiled genuinely and replied. "You'll see."

* * *

"Can't believe I'm sitting here with you finally Morty." Iggy said in between mouthfuls of food. The chopsticks balanced delicately between his fingers as he held the rice in its firm grasp, a sheer contrast to the chaotic nature of his stature and personality as a whole. Morton simply smiled and took slower bites, listening to the rain pattering outside on the tin roof. It was a relaxing feeling that he had sort of missed.

"Yeah," He replied in a rumble. "It's been years. Although if I can be honest, you look a lot worse then when I last saw ya."

Iggy shrugged. "Eh, it happens."

"I don't recall you having a limp," Morton waggled his chopsticks at his knees. "The hell happened to you?"

"Funnily enough that's what Bowser asked me when he footed my medical bills. He's a handsome and generous man like that."

"Geez," Morton swallowed. "When did you get stuck in hospital?"

"Oh pfft, I don't know... few years ago. That's what happens when you don't pay the local mob the money you owe them back."

Morton decided not to pursue the conversation further, instead opting to eat in silence and wonder to himself what the hell Iggy had gotten up to. It was probably best to not eat with a mouth full anyway. Iggy laughed when Morton put his food box aside.

"Done already?"

He shrugged. "Hey when you've had nothing but oil rig cafeteria food you're chomping at the bits for anything decent on the mainland."

"Good ol' Neo City local cuisine. Get the best unchanged grease vats in twenty years, maybe some sewer water on the side too."

He had to admit, he had missed it. Even if he knew the food was going to give him a problem later on. It was worth it.

"So Larry and the kid gone to get Lemmy, huh?"

"Yep," Iggy nodded. "Then we get Wendy and Roy and we're back in the game."

"I don't know," Morton cracked his fingers. "I might be a bit rusty."

"Hey, don't worry about it. We'll do some practice runs once we get everything settled in."

"It'll be good to see the others again. I hope they've been doing well," He rested his hands in his lap. "I mean... you know, until this whole thing."

The lanky male dismissed it with a wave of his hand. "That's just how it is. Bowser says something, we have to do it. I don't know what he's got going on but he's made it pretty clear that this is important. Considering he's saved my ass so many times over the years... I feel it's only best to repay him back."

"Did you tell Larry that?" Morton scratched his face.

"Larry's a misery guts and you know it. Ever since he got a wife and a kid he's been nothing but whiny and moody. I don't think anything I could have said to him would have made him change his mind," Iggy gestured with his hands. "Liza changed him for the worst."

The bigger male shrugged in response. "Ah, I mean... she wasn't THAT bad Iggs. She only wanted the best for him."

"We could have kept Larry but then he had to go and give her a kid... well, at least the kid was adorable."

Morton chuckled, remembering when Larry had proudly presented his child to the gang at the hospital that late evening. He remembered the kid and how happy Larry was. He hadn't seen him that happy in forever... like he was so proud to be a father, to have such a big responsibility and to share his knowledge and love onto someone. To be someone finally. "You know it was no secret Iggy..."

"I know. It's a damn fine coincidence that Ludwig happened to crash the party and give him that chance though."

"Did you know that he was a cop though?"

"Of course not," Iggy replied indignantly as he shoveled more rice into his mouth. "I don't think anyone did."

"Not even Larry?"

"Not even Larry. Trust me, I would know. He would have ratted us out a long time ago."

Morton nodded. "You'd been keeping tabs on him?"

"Him and Roy," Iggy added. "Since they were both incarcerated, it was worth it to keep my ear on the ground. As far as I know Roy hasn't said anything either."

"What are we going to do about Roy?"

"He's still serving for robbery and arms dealing as we know, but the boss and I are working on something."

"Not a prison break I hope." Morton shivered at the thought of doing something so loud so early.

Iggy, however, calmed that concern quickly. "Nah. Too much heat and it wouldn't serve us too well. Might as well do it the old fashioned way; having friends in higher places. As far as I know he hasn't killed anyone yet, just gotten up to whatever they do in prison."

Morton could think of one thing and couldn't help but laugh. Roy would never let that happen.

* * *

The temperature was starting to rise as the treetops above them cushioned the heat down below. Larry found it fairly comfortable though, a welcome change from the frozen wasteland that they were in not too long ago. The main circus tent was in front of them decorated in tattered orange and green stripes, empty and getting set up for the next show it seemed like. He stood there briefly, looking around and inside to see if anyone was there.

No such luck.

"What do we do now?" Junior asked.

Larry shrugged and hopped over the fence next to them, much to the young man's shock.

"What?!"

"Come on," He grumbled. "I'm not buying another ticket to get in."

He wasn't sure if he should follow. A million excuses filtered through his mind as to not follow him, but Junior simply gave up with a sigh and hopped the fence as well. Getting into trouble with a bunch of carnies would be much better than getting the cold shoulder even more from Larry.

Catching up to him, he asked, "What does he look like?"

"I don't know," Larry replied honestly. "Short guy still, but he had a rainbow sort of mohawk. Liked to be flamboyant with his hair. But he could have changed it."

Wasn't much to do with that information if he could be honest, but Larry was confident that he could spot him still.

Unfortunately it didn't take long for them to be spotted out.

"Hey, who are you two?" A ragged carnie approached them, eying both of them suspiciously. "Ain't seen you two around here before. You new or something?"

Before Larry could reply, Junior blurted out an answer. "Safety officers!"

"Safety officers?"

Larry kept his lips pressed together in a thin expression and subtly looked at Junior, who caught his gaze back with embarrassment and urged the kid to commit to it with a weary glance.

"Yep, safety officers. We heard the circus was in town and it's just... uh, protocol."

The carnie laughed. "You boys are a bit late. We've been in town for a while and this is our last day," He stood eye-to-eye with Junior and gave him a knowing smile. "You ain't a safety officer, are you boy? So I will ask you two again; who are you two?"

Larry stepped in and lightly pushed the old man away. "Look we just want to see someone. If you wanna make this complicated, I have no problem with that but if you'll lead us to who we're looking for, we won't cause trouble." To emphasise his point, he pulled out a bunch of coins and rattled them temptingly in his palm.

It was obvious that the glitter of the gold made the old man's eyes light up like it was Christmas all over again and it didn't take much to convince him otherwise. "Who are you boys looking for?"

"Your pyrotechnics guy. His name is Remy."

"Remy, huh? What's your business with him?"

"That's for you to think about and for us to settle. Where can we find him?"

He pointed to a trailer in the distance. "He shacks up there. Otherwise he'll be working around here."

Larry smiled and deposited the coins into his hand. "Payment, as promised. Thank you." He walked off, Junior trailing behind him with a furrowed brow at the whole exchange. Once they were out of earshot, Larry bumped him with his elbow and stuffed his hands into his pockets. "Nice try, kid."

"Shut up."

"Hey if you're going to fuck this whole thing up for all of us, then I'm allowed to shit on you for it," He said irritably at him. "So if you wanna get all huffy about it, cry about it to your father."

Junior glared at him before looking away. "Fucking asshole." He muttered under his breath.

Larry pretended not to hear that. "You owe me fifty gold coins."

This was the right trailer; it had his name on it; 'Remy', in big bold letters, as if it wasn't obvious enough looking at it to the inside; it was messy, full of brightly coloured knick-knacks and food littered everywhere. Larry couldn't help but chuckle at the sight; some things didn't change. Just as he rapt his knuckles on the door, a familiar voice spoke from behind them.

"Who the hell are you guys-" It was only when Larry turned around that Lemmy's expression dropped and was replaced with recognition. "Larry?"

Larry smiled genuinely and spread his arms out. "Hey Lem. Long time no see, huh?"

Despite Junior's vitriol, he couldn't help but smile back at the sight of the two friends hugging each other. For them, it had been ten years divorced.

It reminded him of himself and his father when came back home after boarding school. That intense feeling of seeing someone for the first time in a long time.

He was seeing it here.

"How the heck did you find me?" Lemmy asked incredulously as they walked into the caravan, apparently eager to launch into a thousand questions.

"It's a long story but... Iggy."

He cleared some space on the booth seats. "What? He's alive?!"

"Everyone is."

"Holy. That's crazy..."

Larry grinned. "Yeah, well, it turned out to be sort of a nightmare for me but whatever, we can discuss that later. I guess introductions are in order first before anything else so," He gestured to Junior who hadn't taken a seat. "This is Bowser Junior, our anonymous benefactors son."

"What?! Our boss was Bowser?!" Lemmy exclaimed, staring at the son before him trying to comprehend the sight before him. "I mean... I had seen him on the news b-but wow! I can't believe it!" The short koopa jumped up and shook his hand enthusiastically. "Nice to meet you! I have nothing but the highest amount of respect for Bowser so it's an honor to meet his son!"

Junior looked intensely confused, which Larry couldn't help but try (and failed) not to laugh at. "Uh... t-thank you..."

"No really, it is! Bowser was an amazing boss! He let me follow my passion when we robbed things and it was so much fun, wasn't it Larry?"

"Yeah, it was..." Larry looked away.

"Just in case you didn't know Junior, I kind of grew up liking things that go boom, so as a kid I got in trouble a lot for setting fires and throwing firecrackers at people but I was recruited by Iggy because we knew each other from way back and being in a gang let me put that explosive passion to use and it was so much fun, you know?"

Junior scrunched his nose. "I guess?"

Lemmy turned his attention to Larry. "So what happened? After... well, North Ashor?"

"Roy and I got busted thanks to Ludwig. Feds tried to pry information out of me but I said nothing and went to prison. Got out on good behaviour, lived in the Grasslands Kingdom with Liza and Nick until Iggy found me again."

"Oh... I'm sorry. How are Liza and Nick?"

Larry sighed and leaned against the table. "Liza's pissed at me because Iggy forced me to run off and Nick... Nick's probably mad at me like any teenager. Speaking of Iggy... Lem, I'm sorry but there is an ulterior motive for us coming here..."

"I know," Lemmy interrupted. "You want me to come back again."

"I personally don't want you to. Were it up to me I'd just leave everyone alone but you know, the big man has to get the crew back together for one last job."

It was hard to see Lemmy so conflicted, especially when seeing him so upbeat and cheerful and happy was always a treat and one of the reasons that Larry resented himself for pulling Lemmy out of this. Seeing the rainbow coloured mohawk koopa do his magic was a sight to behold and when he and Morton worked together, wonderful things happened. Lemmy never lost enthusiasm for his job and it was fitting that he'd run away to the circus and continue to go legit.

Seeing the sullen expression of someone who never not smiled was a bad omen.

But then Lemmy surprised him.

"I'll come with you." He smiled at him again.

"Why?"

"Why not?" He shrugged. "It's fun and it will give me something to do."

Larry blinked. "But don't you have this whole pyrotechnic thing going on? This is something you've always wanted, isn't it? To go legit, to make money and do what you love without looking over your shoulder and fearing for your life and safety? You're going to give that up?"

"What's the point of doing something you love if there's no one around to share that passion with you?"

"Lemmy, you know that this is a one time thing, right? We do this one job for Bowser and that's it; we go back to our normal lives."

"You don't believe that, do you Larry? You're smarter than that..."

He sighed. "... Yeah. You're right."

"I care about you guys the most. That's all that matters. Besides, if we're going to be stuck in a bad situation why not do it together?"

He couldn't help but shake his head - Lemmy was just too damn kind and caring of others that he'd give this up for them.

"Besides," He mumbled and kicked a stray soda can out of the way. "This is getting kind of boring."

"So you're in?"

Lemmy gave a thumbs up.

"Definitely."

* * *

 _A/N: Sorry for the delay, I actually had my partner come over and visit for three weeks so we spent that time goofing off. But I'm back! Hooray! Thank you for reading this and be sure to point out any mistakes I make so I can fix it ASAP_


	6. A Couple of Pink Perils

**CHAPTER 6 - A Couple of Pink Perils**

LOCATION: VOLCANIC POINT HIGH-SECURITY PRISON, DARKLANDS KINGDOM

TIME: 9:18AM

Above the noise of his fellow prisoners above him Roy gave a long lasting sigh as the muscles in his arms and legs finally received the rest that they were screaming for. Another day out in the yard gone successfully without anyone giving him trouble. Being able to practice a few rounds of boxing on the side was always a blessed relief. It was as his mother always said to him, it never hurts to vent. For Roy, punching the hell out of things always gave him a good kick and reinforced his confidence.

New inmates fresh onto the scene would see a large and bulky koopa sulking around in the shadowed parts of the training yard, practicing his one-two punching routine with someone. There was a steely determination in his eyes and a structured rhythm to his breathing as he pounded the palms of his training partner. There were hushed whispers among the new blood about how intimidating he was or how much he seemed to be a 'poser'. But in the end they were always told the same thing; don't mess with Roy.

Part of a notorious crime gang, he was freshly picked from a sting operation... or that was what the inmates believed anyway. Roy never spoke about his past and it was always a good idea never to ask him about it. He had connections and was never afraid to use them. A 'rough son-of-a-bitch', as someone had muttered once out of earshot. He dealt weapons and robbed people, but was intensely brutal about it according to rumor. Again, no one wanted to ask him to verify it as they saw his behaviour over the past decade proof enough.

He settled back into his bed, taking in a deep breath and staring at the bunk above him. Empty this week, as his cell-mate had vacated due to his sentence being up. Roy was going to miss that idiot.

Morning was over and it wouldn't be too long before they'd be called to lunch. Already his mind began to work, wondering what the others were planning for him.

And it just wasn't the other prisoners he was talking about.

If there was one thing he disliked most above all, it was the law. He'd regard the familar blue uniforms with nothing but contempt, knowing that whatever he could do besides nothing would make it worse for him in the long run. Roy wasn't stupid; he knew that jabbing a fork into a guards neck was only asking for trouble and solitary, plus even more of his sentencing added on on top of his thirty-five years.

Lunch had come and gone as well as the hours into the afternoon when the all too familiar sound of the baton rasping against his cell bars woke him up.

"Visitor." The guard said simply.

Roy paused. "Eh?" He didn't step out straight away when the door opened.

"You got a fucking visitor."

"Alright, calm down, geez..."

His mind was curious, but also a bit weary. Who the hell was visiting him? No one had sent him anything or bothered to keep in contact, not even his mother and father. It was probably nothing. He was expecting it to be a prank on part of the guards, considering that it was a thing that they did to the solitary folk just to break them even further. They'd probably do that and then shove him aside and extort the money he'd made for the day.

The visiting area was empty, it always was. Roy wasn't surprised at that. He was surprised, though, at the stranger that he visited him; sitting there in a big business suit with an expectant look on his face like they were old pals or something. The prisoner gave the guard accompanying him a disdainful look, but he was only pushed onto the seat and made to stare at the figure before him behind the glass.

"Five minutes." The guard said simply before retreating to the door to stand guard again. Roy turned back to stare at the suit who simply bowed his head and nodded at the phone receiver next to him.

"How ya doing, kid?"

Roy furrowed his brow. "I... uh... I'm okay. How are you, sir?"

The suit laughed. "Just fine, just fine. You seem to be doing pretty well for yourself all these years later."

"Do I know you?" Roy asked immediately. "Because if you're going to waste my time I'm ending this early."

"Straight to the point, huh? That's fine. First things first, I should introduce myself; my name is Bowser. Bowser Koopa."

"What?" Roy blinked. "The politician?"

"You know it. And I know who you are, Roy."

"Huh. Really?"

Bowser's laugh was a deep guttural sort of one that seemed to reverberate from the glass. "I believe we have done business before in the past."

It took no time at all for Roy to make the connection. "Fuck, it was you?" He looked over his shoulder briefly - the guard was staring out the window, but probably still listening in. "Where the hell have you been?"

"Living my life."

"And letting me rot in here after that cop ratted me and Larry out? Fuck you." He was about to slam the receiver down, but he was interrupted with something that made him pause again.

"I'm getting you out."

He cautiously bought the phone up to his ear. "What? How? You know I've got at least ten more years on my sentence and that's just for robbery. You think you can bail me out early on my charges?"

"I got Larry out early on his." Bowser said matter-of-factly, looking at his nails like it was no big deal. Roy steeled himself - he knew that this asshole had to be messing with him.

"Oh yeah? When? He hasn't tried to contact me yet."

"About five, six years ago..." A guilty look took over Bowser's face. "I would have gotten you down to that same time, but I ran out of favors and I had to go into hiding."

Roy growled. "Oh fuck off, that's bullshit."

"Don't believe me all you want Royson, but the fact of the matter is it's finally time for me to cash that long owed favor which you'll be able to pay back very soon."

"I think I know what you're talking about..."

The suit before him grinned, the first time Roy had actually seen his formerly secretive boss flash a grin, and nodded again. "Good. You'll be touching down very soon. I'd get my affairs in order before then because you ain't coming back here. Trust me on this."

Roy wasn't too sure. "I guess I have to..."

"Believe me. The others are very eager to see you again."

The line went silent as Bowser stood up, adjusted his sleeves and gave him a parting expression before turning tail and leaving. Roy sat there in silence before docking his end of the phone. The more he thought about it, the more angry he was starting to become. Not at being able to be free for good (although he was doubting that as well), but the fact that if the others were 'eager' to see him...

They weren't in any rush the past decade to do so.

* * *

LOCATION: LON LON DRIVE, FRONTIER RIDGE, PLAINS KINGDOM

TIME: 2:01PM

"You didn't have to come too, you know."

Morton shrugged and threw his hands behind his head. "I was bored," He replied to Larry, who frowned at him. "Hey, had to give the kid a break. He's been doing nothing but running around with you for the past week."

"I didn't think you liked him that much." He bought the cigarette up and inhaled.

"I didn't think you hated him that much." Morton retorted.

"Kid is just going to get in the way of what we need to do. He's been nothing but a pain in the ass. Of course, can't say that because he's the boss's fucking spawn."

"Would you like it if someone said the same thing about Nick though?"

Larry spun around. "Hey, fuck you," He jabbed Morton in the chest. "First of all, don't bring my kid up because you have no right to. Second, Nick wouldn't take shit from anyone, even you guys."

"Okay, sorry Lar..." The big male stepped back with his hands up, not wanting to agitate the situation any further. If there was one thing Iggy was right about though, it was that Larry had changed. He wasn't sure if it was for the worst though, but it was a far cry from the usually pleasant and laid-back Larry that he had known a decade ago instead replaced with this bitter and tired old man. And he was a few years older than him even.

They walked along the sidewalk for a few seconds before Larry's shoulders drooped.

"Fucking Liza. You know that bitch still won't let me speak to him?"

Morton feigned ignorance and shook his head; it was no secret that the times Larry had come back to the safe house, he'd spent most of the time outside trying to ring his family back home. Every time though he'd sulk back inside with a very irritated expression and refused to talk to anyone for the rest of the night. Lemmy went to ask what was wrong, but Iggy had smartly stopped him.

"I don't know what you got up to Mort, but," The cigarette balanced precariously between his fingers as he gestured at him. "If you ever have a girlfriend or a wife or whatever and you have a kid with them, cherish every moment you have with that kid because you never know when your bitch wife will shut you out of their life for good."

He didn't have the heart to say that women wasn't really a thing on his mind.

Morton shook his head. "Nah. No kids. A few flings here and there, but nothing too serious."

"Heh," Larry chuckled. "Good man. Stick by yourself Morty, it's the best you can do to yourself and your sanity. I mean... honestly? Anyone can be a single parent these days. It's hard, but it can work. Take Mom, stars rest her soul, for example."

"I don't know what my folks would think of me right now. They'd probably be writing me out of their will at the moment if they haven't already."

"You haven't seen them?"

Morton gave his friend a look. "I'm a wanted criminal still Larry. I think that's a bit unreasonable, don't you think?"

"Fair enough. I forget I'm the only one who's actually served his time."

"Don't forget Roy too."

He nodded - it seemed like Iggy was making the move to get him out of prison today. He wasn't sure what the process involved, but the nerd that spent most of his days in front of a computer was certifiably insane. He could probably be hacking the prison system at this very moment and no one could be the wiser. He'd certainly arranged worser things in his day, which seemed to come back and bite him in the ass.

"I tell you what though, I'm not looking forward to seeing Roy."

Morton tilted his head. "How come?"

"He's spent around a decade in prison. That shit changes you. You see the world differently when you step out of there," He splayed his fingers onto his chest. "Look at me. Five, six years in there and it's fucked me up beyond belief. Don't lie Morton, I know you see me differently nowadays."

"I guess. It's just weird how much everything has changed."

They stopped at an intersection. "Tell me about it."

The garage was right across from them, shoved in between a cafe and an office building. The paint was flaking off the crimson bricks, but it was still relatively good looking for a decade long garage apparently. Cars and motorcycles were parked out front, some like they had come out of the factory and others like they had come out of the junkyard.

Morton laughed as Larry threw his cigarette into the gutter. "I guess not much about her has changed."

Without hesitation they walked through the door and were immediately assaulted by the smell of fumes and oil, something which didn't bother Morton but obviously bothered Larry a lot, seeing as how he wrinkled his nose and tried not to seem bothered by it.

Not a moment after they walked in, the door leading into the garage proper burst open.

"Hey fellas!" The female mechanic boomed. "What can I do for ya on this fine day?"

Recovering from his mini-heart attack, Larry cleared his throat. "Uh... we're looking for Wendy."

"Wendy? Well, I'm her partner so whatever's the problem you can bring it up with me!" The burly koopa stuck out her hand. "Name's Kat, by the way!"

Morton shook it with a more chipper attitude compared to Larry's more uncaring one. "I didn't know Wendy had a partner!" Morton exclaimed, genuinely happy for her.

"Yep. Been together almost six years now. How d'ya know Wendy though?"

"We're friends from way, way back. Haven't seen her for almost a decade now."

Kat cocked her head with a grin. "Ain't that funny because I think I know who you fellas are."

"Really?"

"Yeah, Wendy talks about you guys sometimes. Talks about all the cool things you got up to."

Larry suddenly felt himself sweating profusely. "Like what?" He asked.

"Just that you were up to some fun things. Hey, I'll go get her and you three can be reacquainted again!" Before they could object, Kat had taken off back out to the garage where her voice suddenly boomed. "Hey Wen! ... Wendy! Yeah! Some of your friends are here... shoot, I forgot their names!"

"Larry and Morton!" He called out before turning to his friend. "Fuck, how much has she said?"

Morton clapped his hand on his shoulder. "Relax. I'm sure it wasn't that much. Besides, she looks trustworthy enough."

"You have a bad sense of judgment on people." Larry deadpanned.

"I know you guys, don't I?"

He could only grimace at that before the door opened again behind them.

"Get the hell out!" Wendy exclaimed, rushing over to Larry and Morton and hugging them tightly. "Oh my goodness boys, there you are! I was wondering when you'd find me again!"

Still herself through and through; a rough diamond. It was hard not to smile at least a little bit at her enthusiasm and joy of seeing her old friends back, Larry had done the same with Lemmy. Wendy was genuinely one of the few people that got along with everyone to some extent. She was the social wild-card of the group, never one to take sides but to be diplomatic. Still she kicked some butt when she wanted to.

Wendy stepped back and looked over the two with a frown. "Where are the others?"

"We weren't going to get everyone down here Wen," Larry rolled his eyes. "You're not that important."

"Shut up," She punched him in the shoulder. "Still an asshole Lawrence, not much has changed there."

Larry shrugged. "Can't argue there."

"And Morton!" She turned to him. "Oh my goodness, you look wonderful! Still packing on that muscle and engineering prowess, huh?"

Morton ran a hand over his bicep. "You know it! Been doing some work to keep me company, at least until Larry picked me up."

"Picked you up huh? I guess that means you guys are finally back in the game again?"

"Yeah. The boss got Iggy to track me down and get everyone back to Neo City for one last big score," Larry explained. "Then we go back to our normal lives."

Wendy folded her arms as Kat took her side. "That's awesome. I was wondering when you guys would get back together again, especially since we all had to split and no one contacted me."

"Hey it wasn't exactly like I could," Larry replied defensively. "I was in prison. Me and Roy. Plus I didn't know where you were hiding out."

"How did you find us then?"

"Iggy. He's become a stalker or something, managed to find you pretty easily."

Wendy laughed. "Ha! That sounds like him though, doesn't it? But, now that I know what you guys are here for, I suppose you're asking me to come back also."

For the first time since the conversation started, Kat spoke up. "Wendy..."

"Kat," She replied back. "We talked about this."

"I know but... what if you get hurt?"

"Never been hurt before. These guys are professionals. I trust them with my life." Wendy assured her, gently caressing her partner's arm with a smile. "Plus, it'll be for only one time. Then I'll come back and we'll carry on like we always do. I love you Kat, and I wouldn't want to hurt you in any way."

Kat's eyes flicked between the two males and her partner, deliberating if she could really trust them. But in the end, she simply smiled and kissed Wendy on the forehead.

"Yeah... I know I can't keep you down anyway. But please, take care," She looked up to Larry and Morton. "And please you two, take care of her as well."

Morton laughed. "Hey I think she'll need to take care of us!"

"You'll be good for the business, won't you Kat?" Wendy asked, to which Kat mocked indignation.

"What? Of course! Just do what you gotta do."

"Okay, I'll see you then. I love you."

"I love you too Wendy."

As they embraced, Larry could only stand back and stare at the couple, thinking about how he and Liza were like that once upon a time. He didn't have the heart to show his true colours. After all, partners were good for nothing except leading you on and breaking your heart.

But were Wendy and Kat any different? It wasn't Larry's business.

As he lit up another cigarette, Wendy rounded to them. "I'm guessing you guys drove here, right?"

"Yeah." Larry grunted.

"That's okay. I'll follow you in my car then."

"Sure you can keep up? It'll be a long drive." All things considered though, Larry couldn't complain; the whole thing had been going well so far. No one was really being difficult.

Wendy snorted. "I'll be just fine. I'll call you guys if you try to ditch me."

"Yeah, you wish." Morton joked, waving her off. "We'll see you at the safe house!"

* * *

LOCATION: SAFE HOUSE, NEO CITY, DARKLANDS KINGDOM

TIME: SEVEN HOURS LATER, 9:16PM

"You got any threes?"

Lemmy was sitting cross-legged on one of the beds and holding a deck of cards in his hand. "Go fish."

Iggy grumbled and smacked his hand onto the pile while Junior sat nearby idly shuffling his own cards and rearranging them. It was his turn next. "Any sevens, Lem?"

"Go fish." Lemmy said.

"Oh come on!" Iggy shrieked with annoyance as Junior picked up another card. "You've said nothing but 'go fish' for the past 30 minutes! How have we not gotten a single card right?!"

Lemmy grinned. "Because you're not as good at 'Go Fish' as me Iggs. By the way, you got any kings?"

Glaring at him with a death stare that could melt stone, Iggy handed over three kings to Lemmy, who responded by cackling and putting his freshly won cards in a pile next to him.

"It's luck. It's just luck," He repeated to himself over and over again like a mantra. "It's just luck."

"It's luck when you're losing. Come on Iggy, hit me."

Junior was pretty sure that Iggy would have actually liked to hit him.

"How about... any ones, Lemmy?"

Just as he was about to reply, the rattling of the garage door opening stopped them. "We're back!" Morton's voice boomed, making the crew get up and abandon their round. In Junior's case, he was thankful for that; who knew what could have happened if the game went on any longer. Lemmy gave a yell of delight when he saw who it was.

"Wendy!" He shouted, practically leaping at her at first sight.

Wendy laughed and thankfully caught the smaller koopa. "Hey Lem-Lem, how are you doing?"

"Just wonderful! And you?"

"Somewhere between joyful and peachy."

Larry spoke up, hands in pockets. "Okay, well, that's almost everyone. We just need to get Roy and we're all set to go."

"Just like old times, huh Larry?" Iggy said with a toothy grin.

"Yeah..." And with that, he wandered off towards the back of the safe house, leaving everyone to do their thing. He had to admit, it was nice seeing everyone together again. It just wasn't nice that he'd had to do this to everyone, but so far everyone was okay with it. Maybe they still wanted to continue being the famous Koopaling gang that went across every kingdom robbing and stealing for fun and profit. But everyone had changed, including him.

He stepped outside under the overhang, watching the rain pour out across the bay. His breath visible and his heart beating, Larry pulled the burner phone and dialed an all too-familiar number.

* * *

LOCATION: VOLCANIC POINT HIGH-SECURITY PRISON, DARKLANDS KINGDOM

TIME: 11:45AM THE NEXT DAY

"Ay, we're gonna miss ya Roy!"

"Yeah, have a good life outside Roy, take care of yourself!"

"Who's going to be our muscle now?"

Roy smiled to himself as he walked down the path to freedom, the cries of his fellow prisoners behind him and a box of his possessions that had been confiscated from him when he had been captured. He couldn't help but wonder, how did the old man pull it off? He actually pulled through on his promise. Now he was going to be free again.

The irony was that he was going to commit a crime all over again. Bowser better have something good lined up afterwards though; he did not feel like going back again just after he'd gotten out.

The smoggy, sooty air was fresh and biting to his lungs. Had he really been inside for so long, breathing in that stale recycled air? It almost made him feel sick.

He stopped outside the large metal gate, where the security guard, after looking him up and down with a sneer, nodded.

"Alright. Go on through."

There it was. The land that he had sought after for so long, the glances he always took at it when in the yard. It was a terrible, uninspired dirt road but he could actually step on it now without being shot at.

He was expecting Bowser to be there to greet him. But only a limo sat in front of him. That couldn't be for him... then again, he didn't think anyone who worked at a prison drove a limo. Brows furrowed and the gates slamming shut behind him, Roy ambled over to the car for a closer look. Then the window rolled down.

"Mister Roy Koopa, I presume?"

Roy blinked at the driver. "Uh... yeah, that's me."

"I will be transporting you to Sir Bowser's mansion. Please get in the back."

"I.. uh, okay."

Well, if Bowser wasn't going to personally meet him on the outside at least he was going to ride in style all the way to his boss's mansion.

The car rumbled away as soon as he sat down, and Roy took a moment to process his surroundings. So this was what Bowser was doing with all that cash that he got as a cut. Pretty impressive if he could say so himself, fitting for a corrupt and slimy politician.

He kept quiet for the duration of the car ride, instead opting to stare out the window and watch the dusty plains of Volcanic Point turn into a torrential downpour on the grassy plains of Neo City. The volcano a mere blip in the distance for them, Roy took a moment to look at the city that they were driving past. He couldn't remember if the highway had been here before. There was definitely a lot he had missed out on.

The highway ended as the limo took him up into the mountains, where it became a combination of light rain and fog. This was where the rich people lived then, he thought to himself, away from all the scrap of Neo City. He grunted to himself as they pulled into the driveway of a lavish mansion and stopped outside the front doors.

"This is it?" He asked the driver, feeling weary of where he actually was. Why though, he could not explain.

"Indeed. Sir Bowser will be waiting inside."

Having no other choice, Roy got out and walked slowly up to the front door, box under his arm as he rang the doorbell.

A couple of seconds later, he finally saw him.

"Roy!" Bowser smiled and invited him in.

Roy walked in, glancing around at everything. "Boss."

"Hope the prison didn't give you too much trouble, huh?"

"Nah. They just released me without warning," Roy shrugged. He was expecting a lot more work and waiting. "Gave me my stuff and sent me on my way."

"Excellent. Those low wage security guards... they can be brutal. I would be too if I had to do their job. Anyway!" He kindly took the box from Roy. "Would you care for a drink? I have the best fire scotch and I bet you haven't had a drink for a while, huh?"

"You ever taste prison alcohol?"

Bowser chuckled and walked over to the bar. "I don't think I have."

"That shit could tear the wallpaper off a wall, that's all I'm saying on it."

"Well I'm sure you'll appreciate this," He handed him the glass and sat down across from him. "Now, a toast. To your freedom."

"To my freedom." Roy parroted before downing the shot in one fell swoop. He pulled a face as his throat was suddenly on fire. "Holy s-shit!" He coughed, leaning on the armrest for support.

Bowser swirled his glass around. "Bit too much for you? Don't worry, I'd be the same. Now... now that we've gotten everything out of the way, let's talk this job."

"Yeah, the all important job I owe you for my freedom. What do you want?"

"Right now, Larry has gathered the entire team down at a safe house for one big score that you'll do for me, after which I will grant you your freedoms. You will have nothing to worry about. I promise you on my life you will not go back to prison."

"Good," Roy said. "Because if I do, you know there will be problems."

"Of course, of course. But Iggy will brief you on what you'll be doing. Then you can plan it, execute it and I'll let you all have your leave."

He had a bad feeling about this. "Okay..."

The glass went down. "I know you have no reason to trust me Roy, but please do. Besides, I'm sure besides you someone isn't happy to be doing this." Bowser stood up and began to lead him by the arm outside. "Now, my driver will take you to the safe house. Introduce yourself back to everyone, get settled in and do the job."

"Y-yeah, sure," Roy grabbed the box. "You got it."

Bowser waved him goodbye. "See you around kid, take care of yourself."

"Yeah, see you too boss."

He watched as Bowser receeded into the horizon from the back of the limo and Roy couldn't help but feel a tight knot in his stomach over this.

Maybe it was just nerves. Yeah... it had to be that.

* * *

"Limo outside, everyone!"

With a grunt, Larry threw the garage door to the safe house up and was confronted with the limo parked outside. His heart beating against his chest, he watched as the back door opened and out stepped another familiar face. Someone whom he also hadn't seen or heard from in a long time.

At the sight of his old friends standing at the door, Roy simply took a breath, smiled and from the depths of the box he was carrying, fished out a trademark pair of sunglasses and cooly flicked them onto his nose.

"Hey folks," He said above the noise of the rain. "Didja miss me?"

 _A/N: Everyone's together, now it's time to plan! Again, thank you for reading. Much appreciated!_


	7. Master Plan

**CHAPTER 7 - Master Plan**

LOCATION: SAFE HOUSE, NEO CITY, DARKLANDS KINGDOM

TIME: 9:09AM

"Well then," Iggy looked over the group. "Everyone is here... finally. Thanks to myself, our benevolent boss and Lawrence we finally have you all. It's finally time to see what we're going up on."

Everyone was silent as the phone rang. Larry was especially figidity. His heart pounded deep inside his chest, wondering what it was.

He would get his answer soon enough.

"Ignatius." Bowser's voice rang out in the office.

"Boss, boss, everyone's here!" Iggy replied with a hint of excitement in his voice - while everyone smiled, Larry was sitting in the corner with his arms folded and a stern expression on his face.

"Wonderful, just wonderful. You've done a fine job Iggy. I send my greetings to everyone."

Morton spoke up. "We're right here Boss!"

Cheerful exclamations rose up from everyone else, to which Bowser laughed like how a father would to his children. It was weird really how they had been his children, in a fucked up sort of way. Larry pondered this with a tilted head.

"Just like the old times. But there is no time for that, I'm afraid. As I've stipulated many times this is one more job for you all, and then you'll be free forever and I will be in your debt. This is something big, at least to me."

"Well, make with it Boss! What is it?" Iggy asked and flashed everyone a grin.

"I'm not going to lie to you all. This is going to be the hardest one you have all faced down yet. And there is no easy way to say this... you will be hitting one of the biggest and most secure vaults in the history of koopakind. The Neo City Bank & Trust."

Larry jumped up suddenly with fury, as if he had been suddenly poked from behind with a burning iron. "WHAT?! The NCBT?! Are you fucking crazy, Bowser?!"

"Yo, 'ey 'ey!" Roy put his hands on his shoulders. "Calm down Larry."

"I can't be fucking calm! We're going to rob that place?! Are you out of your mind?!"

Lemmy had stood up as well when Bowser finally managed to get in. "I understand your hesitation at this Lawrence. Believe me, I know how highly secure it actually is..."

"Papa does business there." Junior said aside to Wendy.

"And I can understand that throwing you all into this after a ten year hiatus will be tough, but I wouldn't have called you all here if I didn't believe you could all do it."

Larry looked around wildly, trying to get a view of the group from behind Roy's stocky frame who wasn't having much of a problem keeping Larry down. "I... I... am I the only one freaking out about this?! We're all on the run from the fucking law, we're dead broke and working dead end jobs that barely support ourselves. But sure, let's just drop everything and rob a fucking high class bank for you!"

"Oh, would you just shut up Larry?" Iggy threw his arms up.

"How about you do, you fucking spindly asshole? You're the one who put me up to this! I could be resting at home with my fucking family but I gotta fucking do this shit?! Excuse me if I sound a bit fucking distressed, but do you know what they do to criminals at that bank?! They don't shoot you, they execute you! How are you all being quiet about this?!"

His chest heaved as everyone fell silent, his body shaking under Roy's grip who had managed to gently coerce him back into his seat. Lemmy smiled sheepishly and looked at the others. "Well," He said quietly. "I don't know... I think it could be a good challenge and a great send-off. I mean... let's face it; the last job wasn't exactly the best terms we've parted on."

"Yeah, c'mon Larry, where's your sense of adventure?" Wendy interjected. "You were always up for jobs like this back in the day."

"Back in the day when we had nothing to lose. And just in case you didn't see, we've all changed. I've changed."

Iggy snorted. "Yeah. We know that."

Larry growled at that remark, his fists clenched into balls of anger. He was lucky that Roy was holding him back.

"Ten years and a lot has changed, yes, but the team is in agreement Lawrence," Bowser said calmly. "And don't forget the terms; you abandon this and I can't guarantee what happens to your family."

He swore that the group looked worried at his words, but it didn't do much to quell the rising nausea Larry was experiencing right now. He remembered why he hated this man all over again. Swallowing the lump in his throat, the koopa nodded and sat back. "Y-yeah... okay."

"You all aren't going for money. No coins, no gold, nothing like that. It is in the vault but it isn't the life savings of some rich person. You're looking for an artifact."

Iggy blinked. "An artifact?"

"A very precious one. As Junior will vouch, I am avid collector of artifacts especially those acquired through slightly illegal means," Junior nodded to confirm. "Not too long ago, the Bank & Trust recently confirmed an exchange of a priceless item. Although I have not seen it myself, I have an insider in the bank who has given me the location of it. In the vault on the seventieth floor and underneath the marble flooring is a safe that contains it. It is up to your discretion how you approach this but all that I care about in the end is obtaining it by any means necessary. Do this, gentlemen and lady, and the world will be yours. For all eight of you, you will have access to whatever you desire from me. Within reason, of course."

Everyone looked at each other again, most of them looking very excited. Even Roy was showing a bit of enthusiasm underneath his gruff exterior while holding Larry down on his chair with one hand.

"Are we all in agreement?"

Iggy swung towards the group with a smile on his face.

"Lawrence?" Bowser called, making the male look up. "Are you in agreement?"

Did he have any choice? "... Yes." He mumbled with humiliation in his voice.

"Wonderful. It is arranged then. My insider will be in contact with you all to provide as much help as necessary. Plan how you want, proceed how you want, but keep me in the loop. Pleasure."

"As always Boss. Iggy out."

As he gave a sigh of relief, the chair clattered suddenly behind them. Larry was up and about to exit the office.

"You done with your temper tantrum, Larry?" Iggy sneered at him. "Or are you just getting started-"

It all happened in a flash; his fist connected with Iggy's nose, a loud and wet 'thack' reverberated throughout the room as he fell into the corner, and Larry on top getting more blows in. Adrenaline surged through his body. All these weeks of pent up stress, his life going into shambles because this demon came back into his life and tore him away from the only thing he cared about. This demon wasn't his friend. He was a minion, carrying out the orders of someone who didn't have the decency to show his face to them. He didn't care about his family, he didn't care about how he felt. He never asked him anything like a friend would.

Instead it was snide and sarcastic remarks all the way through. Never a warm or inviting moment from him. Every hit he put onto his face was venting every little moment that Iggy had done to him. Punch after punch... it felt like a lifetime before he was dragged up and pulled back by Morton and Roy, who were yelling at him.

Blood dripped like the rain outside from his knuckles, his chest heaving and panting as he looked over at everyone who were staring at him with wide eyes and shocked expressions. Behind them he could see how much they judged him though. Demons... they were all fucking demons.

The sound of the world still rang in his ears as he ran straight outside, not caring that he was getting wet. His body was quivering and on the verge of melting into a puddle. Fumbling with the burner phone under his fingers, he tried to steady his breathing as much as he could.

"L-Liza... please. Please, pick up. I want to talk to you. I want to talk to Nick... I... I don't know if I'll ever come back... please... talk to me..."

She didn't pick up.

She never did.

The burner phone shattered to pieces in the rain as he slammed it against the concrete. The rain carried the broken phone down away into the river nearby and he collapsed outside, looking up at the cloudy night sky and for the first time in a long time, he finally cried.

* * *

Lemmy swallowed nervously as Morton handed Iggy an ice pack. "How are you doing?" He asked delicately, to which Iggy could only laugh weakly.

"Let's just say I deserved that." He admitted with a grin as the cold began to numb his bruised face almost immediately. His voice had become nasaly with his bloodied nose.

"Fuck that," Roy growled and looked towards the door. "I can't believe he did that to you. What the hell is wrong with him?"

Iggy put a hand to Roy's thigh. "Royson please. I'm not disabled. I'm not in a wheelchair. We were on equal footing."

"Good, because I think you're a fucking idiot Iggy," Wendy pointed an accusing finger. "You've been nothing but an asshole to him all week. I'm not surprised it didn't happen sooner."

Lemmy had to admit that she did have a point - Iggy and Larry's relationship hadn't been the best from what he had seen. It wasn't exactly a best kept secret that they held each other in contempt. Crude remarks to each other were usually the worst of it, but Larry had obviously been holding back a lot more than what he was letting on.

"I'm going to go find him." He affirmed, but Roy stopped him.

"Fuck him. Let him freeze out there. He's useless to us as a leader if he's going to be like this. We can do this on our own."

Wendy shoved Roy back with equal force, giving him a deathly glare. "Hey big guy, let him. We need to work together as a team."

"I just don't think he'll be a good leader, is all."

"So you think you'll be a better one then?"

Roy grunted at that.

"C'mon Lem," She said with a smirk. "Lets go get him."

"Hey Junior," Morton said as they left the room. "Come help me get him up..."

Wendy could only give herself a small chuckle as they walked through the warehouse. "I can't believe after ten years, I come back to this. I suppose that's what happens... I can't exactly blame Larry but... you know, really? I don't know what he's so worried about."

"He's worried we're all going to die." Lemmy held his arms to himself.

"We're not going to die. That's stupid. We're still professionals. I'm sure after we get into the field, everything will fall together perfectly. Although what happened wasn't exactly professional."

Lemmy wasn't so sure. The realization of what had just happened was starting to settle in.

They didn't have to go far to find Larry - he was sitting in a big puddle out in the rain, his heaving and sobbing frame barely noticeable against the darkness of the dockyard. Wendy approached him without hesitation, the shorter koopa trailing behind her as she put a hand on his shoulder.

"Hey," She said delicately. "You're not going to punch me too?"

"Fuck off," Larry sniffled. "You all have no idea what it's like for me."

"Because you didn't tell us, silly."

He looked up at her. "Because you're not my fucking therapist."

"Well if you just took some time to tell us you wouldn't have beat the hell out of Iggy. I know it's a big deal, but we can do this job."

"No, we can't."

Lemmy spoke. "We can Larry. Didn't you hear what Bowser said? We got his insider coming in. We're not going in completely blind. We need you to lead us. You held us together back in the day and I'm sure you can now," He knelt down and wrapped his arms around his upper arm. "Please? Just come back inside and apologize?"

"He says he messed up so you have nothing to worry about," Wendy said. "Now come on. It's freezing out here."

Nodding silently, Larry stood up and let himself be walked inside. The dormitories fell silent as they bought him back in; Morton, Junior and Roy were standing over Iggy's bed when the door opened and in shuffled three drenched adults.

He couldn't believe the sight of Iggy. Had he really done that?

"Hey... uh," He muttered awkwardly under Roy's gaze. "I-I'm sorry..."

Iggy's body lurched with a chuckle and he held his hand out, the other still pressing the ice pack against his nose. "It's fine. I forgive you."

Larry stared at the outstretched hand and despite Roy looking like he was going to flatten him into a pancake turned around and ignored him. "I'm going to take a shower." He said simply, leaving everyone silently tense as they all looked at each other.

"Well, I'll take it," Iggy's hand dropped. "Can't force him to get any better than that."

* * *

LOCATION: NEO CITY BANK & TRUST, FINANCIAL DISTRICT, NEO CITY, DARKLANDS KINGDOM

TIME: 7:57AM

Neo City Bank & Trust was one of, if not the biggest banks that graced Neo City. Standing proudly in the skyline with its neon buzzing among the rest, it boasted sixty floors of the kingdoms most valuable assets. Everyone who did their business here had the credentials for it. It was said that if you opened an account with NCB&T your life would never be the same again. They took their customers and their assets very seriously. No one could walk in and out easily without being spotted by the magnitude of round-the-clock constantly changing security guards, laser detection, security cameras and the Neo City Police Department a five minute drive away.

There was no criminal on the earth stupid enough to attempt to break into it and steal whatever was inside.

Larry disengaged the engine and heaved a sigh, looking up at the great big building before him. A crew of washouts from the old days was going to do just that.

It had been a tale spun by the great criminals of the past, or that was what was rumored anyway. Larry had only heard of such tales from his youth of the master thieves who attempted to break into the most well-guarded bank in the kingdom. No one made it out. Not one person.

He swallowed and stepped out of his car. The rain pelted him immediately on the shoulders.

Already his suit was ruined. Great.

At least the bank inside was heated. Of course the richest building in the city would have the simple luxuries. It was a welcome breath of air from the usually cold and stuffy warehouse that was their safe house. He tried to remember what to do next, but his mind was foggy from the lack of sleep. Ever since the incident he hadn't been sleeping well. No one wanted to talk to him either.

The insider would be here any minute. He was at the bank right on the dot. They would meet in the lobby and he would take him up to the vault. He checked several times if the camera in his glasses were working fine. He looked like a nerd, but it was easier to have pictures on the fly.

The lobby was decorated with ornate gold everywhere - the floor, the walls, even the ceiling were painted with the brilliant and eloquent color. Larry wondered how much the CEO of the bank made. Probably too much beyond any of his wildest dreams. Business was booming today. The tellers had their hands full taking every stuffy and snobby customer that had walked in.

A woman approached him. "Excuse me, but you wouldn't happen to be Lawrence?"

"Yes," Larry looked up. "That's me."

"I believe we have a mutual acquaintance."

"Yeah, we do," He stood up and shook her hand. "You're the insider?"

She smiled. "In the flesh. Here," She pulled out an ID card. "You're a VIP now, but stick with me. I'll take you wherever you need to go."

Larry slung the tag around his neck. "I didn't know you were a woman." He said as they made their way towards one of the staff doors.

"The name's Kylie. What, did you think I'd be an office nerd?"

"What? No, of course not! I was just under the impression, that's all..."

If she was offended, Kylie didn't show it. Instead she buzzed them in. "Follow me."

Even the narrow corridors were lavishly decorated - chandeliers sat among the gold and black painted walls, with every corner having some sort of rare and exotic plant that Larry had never seen before, but made his nose slightly itchy at the mere sight of it.

"Hey Ky," The security guard greeted her with a grin. "Who's this?"

Kylie spoke up before Larry could answer. "Just a potential new recruit."

"Huh. Well, good luck. Don't see many new takers here. Anyway, ID, sir?"

Larry handed it over without a word, not entirely sure how to act or talk. He glanced over to Kylie, who simply nodded silently, a gesture that he interpreted to keep doing what he was doing.

And that was to keep his mouth shut.

"Well Henry, you're free to go in. Good luck with your interview."

"Thanks." Larry replied as they stepped through the metal doors. He took a moment to look over his own ID - in big bold letters on the front was the name 'Henry J. Koopa'.

Well... it was probably better to keep his actual identity secret. He hoped that he wouldn't have to run into that security guard. The last thing Larry wanted was people who were just getting by in their job to be tangled in this mess that they were planning.

The elevator ride up to the seventieth floor was slow and abysmally awkward. Larry had found a particular corner to stare at until Kylie broke the silence.

"So how long have you known Bowser?"

"Fifteen years. We go way back." He chose his words carefully.

"I see. And he managed to get you this job, huh?" She played along with.

He nodded. "Yeah. I'm nervous about it. I don't think I'll be able to pull it off successfully."

"Hey, don't worry about it. You'll do fine. We'll do our best because you're in capable hands here at the bank. Now, if you'll follow me Henry."

He swore, if anyone tried to tease him with that... he pretended to adjust his glasses when in actuality he was activating the camera feed on the glasses. Ready to transmit, he thought to himself as he adjusted his sleeves and stepped off. He could only hope Iggy or someone at the computer was receiving the pictures.

"This floor is one of the most prestigious. As a worker on this floor, it is important to be familiar with the location," Kylie explained, leading him down a hallway. "To your right you have the CEO's office. You won't see much of him at all and walking in without an appointment is heavily forbidden and grounds for termination. As you can see, we have state-of-the-art cameras hooked up to a live feed to several security stations dotted around the building."

Larry nodded along, glancing upwards at the various cameras that spun back and forth slowly, endlessly surveying the area.

"And it is here that we host the most valuable of all our wealth here at the upper vault. Designed to be impenetrable and impervious to explosives, only a special key combination that changes every hour can grant access. Even then, there is additional security inside to deter would be intruders if the height of the vault wasn't enough incentive."

"Uh huh. And what are the hours for workers?"

Kylie answered. "Workers go from 7:30AM on the dot to 6:00 that evening, although some may be inclined to stay behind after hours for a bonus. The day shift is exchanged for the night shift and routinely patrol certain floors so technically the building is open all night, but certain floors are prohibited once the 6:00 deadline passes."

"Like this one, I presume?"

"Correct. Only security is allowed on this floor."

He hummed to himself and tried to take in as much of the scenery as possible. Little details or clues could be vital when the actual heist goes on. This was why Larry stressed the importance of casing the joint first before jumping in head first. That was an amateur move, and amateurs make mistakes. He'd be damned if any one of the team was going to make a mistake, even if he didn't really care all that much for the actual job. This was just something to get over and done with so he could go back to normality.

The vault was in a weird spot. It was in the middle of the floor as a big metal case, the hallways flanking on four sides that led to offices, the elevators and the stairwells. As far as he could see, there was ventilation but it was far too small for anyone to get into. The corners could potentially afford some breathing room just in case a guard happened to get the jump on them, but Larry wasn't sure on the lighting when the building was closed. It was going to be tricky - they couldn't come in from anywhere except maybe either down the stairs or through the offices on the outside. Either way it had a big risk of being caught.

They weren't really leaving him with a lot of options.

Still, it was something to scratch his brain over when he gets back to the safe house. Satisfied that he could get as much information as he could, Larry simply turned around and shook Kylie's hand formally.

"Well, I think that's all the time I have for. I should get going."

She nodded. "Of course, Henry. I hope our interview has been productive and we will contact you if we feel you're a suitable fit for our role. Here, let me escort you down to the lobby."

Outside was a light drizzle as opposed to the downpour that was happening just an hour ago. As soon as he got into his car, Larry groaned and threw the suit and glasses off. He hated formal wear so much. He knew he wasn't cut out to be a banker... or a politician. Picking up the earpiece he'd left in the glovebox, he spoke. "Larry here. It's done."

Iggy's still blocked nose replied. "Got the pictures. Get back here and let's plan this."

* * *

LOCATION: SAFE HOUSE, NEO CITY, DARKLANDS KINGDOM

TIME: 6:22PM THAT EVENING

"Okay everyone, listen up, because we're not going to go over this twice. We won't even have a chance to, so if you have any questions, I suggest you ask them before we finish this session."

He was in his element. When Larry took to the front of the room and detailing everyone with the plan, everything about him changed. It was what everyone loved about him being a leader; he was charismatic, firm and collected. It was a far cry from his recent breakdown.

He pointed to several pictures pinned up on the board. "Okay so, aerial shot of the roof. Wendy's going to pilot the helicopter that the boss has given us to the top here. We'll be descending down one of the elevator shafts to the seventieth floor where we'll split up into two teams; myself, Lemmy and Morton will be at vault level and waiting for the all-clear from Roy and Junior, who will go down to the sixty-fourth floor and deal with security," He looked over at Roy and Junior, who nodded (Roy was particularly happy at the chance to strong-arm something). "Our insider has given Iggy access to the security network and he'll give us some breathing room by looping the tapes in the meantime. However, it's imperative that we get the vault codes from the the camera guy and then shut him down. That doesn't mean we kill him. I want to keep things as clean as possible, but we can't have anyone spotting us while Iggy is also trying to stay covert."

If there was one thing that Larry had stressed throughout all of their jobs, it was the no killing rule; maiming and roughing people up? It was bound to happen. But Larry couldn't give himself a clear conscience if a civilian or a cop died under their watch. So far there hadn't been any causalities... that he knew of.

"Once the cameras are down, we'll need to work fast. Camera duty changes every thirty minutes so if we time ourselves perfect, we'll have half an hour to crack open the vault, grab the artifact, head to the roof and leave quietly. Roy or Junior, you pipe the code to us and keep an eye on the camera guy. Lemmy and Morton will go into the vault."

He pointed to a grainy picture that showed the inside of the vault, emphasizing the fleur-de-lis on the floor. "Lemmy will do his magic and blow a nice hole in the floor with the hardware that we've just got. I doubt they'd encase the artifact under a layer of tile so Morton will be on hand to take care of any other security measures. Once we actually get it, all bets are off if we get caught. Just keep your weapons in your holsters, use them to intimidate if you have to and get to the roof. Wendy, we'll give you a rough estimate of when we'll need you. You'll pick us up and we'll fly around the bay to see if we have any tail. After that, we'll land in the dockyard and that'll be it. Simple."

Junior didn't look too sure. It was actually a bit complicated what Larry had just garbled on about, and it was strange how everyone listened eagerly. He must have been showing that worry because Roy nudged him with an elbow.

"Hey don't worry kid, it'll be easy. You're with me." He smiled behind his glasses, his purple eyes glowing behind them.

The kid wasn't so sure but he had to trust everyone here. And besides, his father wouldn't have put him in this situation if he thought he was going to die... right?

Larry clapped his hands together. "You got that, everyone? We've got everything we need from Bowser and we're robbing one of the biggest banks in the kingdom, so let's make this nice, clean and quick. Something to really baffle the masses about. They'll be talking about this all over the news."

"Hell yeah!" Lemmy exclaimed, much to everyone's surprise. "The Koopaling gang is back!"

As everyone cheered, Larry, for the first time in a long time, felt himself smiling genuinely and his heart lifting.

Indeed, the Koopaling gang was back.

Tomorrow night, they would rob Neo City Bank & Trust. After that, they would finally have their freedoms.

* * *

 _A/N: They're finally back and ready to go. Although since this is a story that aspires to be at least somewhat entertaining to read, we all know it won't go well. Thank you for reading and reviewing and have a wonderful day!_


	8. Breaking the Bank at Neo City

**CHAPTER 8 - Breaking the Bank at Neo City**

LOCATION: Safe House, Neo City, Darklands Kingdom

TIME: 8:59PM

"Hey, you alright?"

Roy had cornered him while they were changing into their gear. Larry simply shrugged; inwardly however, he was very suspicious. "Yeah. Why?"

"I dunno. You snapped at Iggy and almost killed him and now you're going along with this like nothing ever happened."

"Look, here's the deal; I'm accepting that this is happening. For the sake of all of us I have to keep myself together. I don't want to do this, but your guys' lives depend on this so I'll put aside any feelings I have at the moment just for this."

The burly koopa smiled. "So you do care for us then." It wasn't a question - it was a statement.

Larry didn't say anything and buckled the belt on his sneak suit. "You got our weapons?"

"Yep. Here ya go, 'Boss'." In a flash, Roy spun a pistol from out of seemingly nowhere, discarded the magazine and handed it both to him. "All clean and ready for use. 18 rounds, silenced."

He inspected the pistol in his hand. If Larry could be honest, it was weird how he was holding something like this. He hadn't held a weapon in a decade he had almost forgotten what it was like. Instead, all he could feel was how heavy the metal was in his palm, the matte look of the slide staring back at him. It was in pristine condition. "How the hell did Bowser get these...?" He asked out loud as he checked the silencer.

Roy shrugged and stowed his glasses in one of the pockets. "I dunno. I wouldn't be surprised if he bought them himself."

"Bullshit he could," Larry frowned. "There was no way he could buy us a load of these without raising some suspicion."

"Not at least legally."

He swallowed his bile and holstered the weapon - he hated to think what connections Bowser had and how much he was thanking himself for not declining the job outright now. Who the hell knew what he was capable of?

Back out at the office, everyone was chatting quietly among themselves in their gear (sans Iggy). The tension and nervousness in the air was palpable, but along with it was a small breeze of optimism and excitement; Lemmy and Morton were both carrying bags full of their tools, Wendy putting on her driving gloves and Junior was sitting at the front, looking the most green out of everyone. It didn't help him when Larry and Roy entered.

"Alright everyone, this is it," Larry started, everyone standing to attention. "Tonight we make history. Are we all clear on our jobs?"

Everyone said 'yes' in agreement.

"Do not deviate, do not let your guard down for one moment. If one of us fails, all of us fails. This is the most high stakes we've ever been. We can't afford to go loud or be seen. Keep your masks on, your guns in your holsters and ears open and we'll make it through just fine," He looked over at Junior. "Kid, what do we do when we get into the building?"

Junior shot up nervously as all eyes went suddenly on him. "Uh... we go to the vault and Roy and I go to the security guy and we get the code off him."

"Correct. You'll stay there and wait until we give the all clear to go. Roy, don't kill the camera man please."

"Aw c'mon," Roy chuckled sarcastically as he folded his arms. "You're no fun."

"I mean it. One death on our hands means this could potentially be traced back to us. And don't forget, don't let anyone see your face. Masks are on and never come off. Lemmy, you have the explosives?"

Lemmy patted his bag and beamed. "Right here!"

"Morton, lockpicks and jammers and such?"

"Yep!" Morton showed his open bag for emphasis - inside were a variety of tools and gadgets.

"Everyone got their weapons from Roy?"

Everyone nodded. At that, Larry simply clapped his hands and nodded. "Alright. Wendy, go start up the helicopter. Let's rob this bank."

* * *

LOCATION: Neo City Bank & Trust, The Skies Above The Financial District, Darklands Kingdom

TIME: 9:20PM

"We're here!" Wendy called out from the pilot's seat. Larry nodded and stood up, putting in his earpiece and microphone.

"Okay everyone, show time," He turned to Wendy and tapped her on the shoulder. "Circle around the city until we give the all clear for you to land again. If it goes wrong, get out of there and don't come back for us."

She gave a thumbs up. "Gotcha, Boss."

Larry then turned and swung the door open. Below them was the great expanse of the city, neon lights blazing across the skyline, contrasting the pitch black sky above them. Thankfully for them there was a light drizzle. He could only think about being able to actually go home and enjoy the warmth and sunshine when this was all over.

The Bank & Trust loomed towards them like a monolith, a secret cave ready to be unlocked. The ultimate challenge. He couldn't believe that he was doing this finally even if his heart wasn't in it. But he had to do it. He had to do it for everyone on the team. They were counting on him.

The red lights on the helipad swarmed them as they landed, Larry jumping out and putting the balaclava on followed by everyone who did the same. The thundering rotors were deafening, cutting across the rain like a hot knife through butter. Looking at Wendy again, he gestured for her to take off.

Behind the heating unit on the roof were the elevators. "Morton, crank this door open."

Nodding, Morton kneeled down and opened his bag, retrieving a jack. Of course since the elevator was broken the doors needed to be opened manually. Nothing that the master engineer couldn't handle though, as the doors opened easily revealing an almost pitch black elevator shaft.

"Okay, in." Larry ushered them in one-by-one, taking a moment to glance at Junior. The kid was shaking.

Feeling a brief moment of compassion above the irritation he was feeling towards him, Larry patted him assuringly on the shoulder. Junior caught his gaze, a silent look that said that he was potentially way over his head here. Larry understood but that couldn't excuse the potential messing up he could do. Still, he nodded him on.

The elevator shaft was flanked by thin walkways, something which Morton and Roy struggled to maneuver due to their size.

"I thought we'd be cabling it down." Roy muttered.

"Well, if you want to slide down and get cable burn, be my guest." Larry replied sarcastically as they began to climb down the ladders.

Just as Roy was about to shoot back, Iggy's voice came over the link. "Our insider got me through. I've got a full station of everything in the building. Where are you guys at?"

"Just climbing down to the floors. Get ready with the tape looping."

"Gotcha. Be careful, there's a guard patrolling around on the seventieth floor."

Larry nodded as they passed the seventy-eighth floor. "Yep."

"At least it isn't stairs though." Roy said quietly as the ladder creaked underneath his weight. Lemmy laughed.

"Yeah. Remember that deal we busted one time and had to run up to the roof to get out of there?"

Morton groaned. "Don't remind me."

"Oh yeah you got shot in the leg."

"Shut up, that hurt you know?"

"Yeah no shit getting shot hurts," Roy interjected. "You don't think I've taken a bullet or two as well?

Larry snapped. "We all have, now shut up, we're almost there!"

The first one at the seventieth floor elevator was Morton, who waited briefly before Iggy said it was all clear to open the door. The jack balanced in his hands, he carefully cranked the doors open and jumped through, followed by Lemmy and Larry, who turned around and looked at Roy and Junior. "Okay. Remember, floor sixty-four. You'll see the security room easily. Just break in there and get the codes."

"Yeah yeah, we know," Roy nodded to Junior. "C'mon kid, let's go."

"Okay..."

As the three stepped off, Roy quietly took the jack. Larry motioned them over to the corner. "Iggy," He whispered as they huddled into the corner behind a display stand with a plant. "Loop the tapes."

Some tapping on the keyboard came through the earpiece before Iggy gave a hum of approval. "Done! You guys should be good until Roy and Junior take care of things. Remember though, you guys only have a few minutes before they think something is wrong."

"Shit," Roy muttered to himself and looked up at Junior. "Come on kid, let's get a move on."

They hurried their pace but it was hard to when the ladder felt like it could give way at any moment. Adding onto that it was hard to see anything except the dim glow of light that peaked through the elevator doors as they passed them. Junior groaned and paused briefly to flap his arm.

"Arms hurt, kid?"

Junior nodded. "Y-yeah..."

"Keep going Junior," Larry said over the mic in a semi-annoyed tone. "No time to rest."

The kid only gave a 'humf' of annoyance his own, to which Roy laughed at that and they continued on. Eventually Roy was first at the floor.

"Okay I'm here," He pulled the jack from under his arm and, with a furrowed brow appearing quickly on his face, turned it around like it was a particularly complicated Rubix cube. "How do you work this thing?"

A sigh from Larry came over the line before Morton took over. "Just grab the two ends and shove them between the doors, then use the crank to open it."

The elevator doors squeaked open. "Got it." Once the gap was big enough for Roy to squeeze through, he slid out followed by Junior who grabbed the jack and let the doors close naturally. He was panting lightly, his face red underneath the balaclava as he hoisted the jack under his arm. They pressed themselves up against a half-wall in one of the offices as a guard passed by them in the window. "Shit," He hissed to himself, daring to take a peak. "I'm not cut out for this sneaking around."

"Quit complaining and get there."

Roy growled. "Alright, geez Larry..."

They could see the faint green glow of the security office across from them. Only one guard was walking around, sometimes stopping to scan his environment but aside from that it was fairly easy to avoid. Nothing that Roy hadn't done before (even if he disliked it) and Junior was very quick to follow his lead.

He looked around a corner just in time to see the stairwell door slam shut. "Okay," He whispered to Roy. "I think he's gone."

Immediately Roy made a break for the door, but stopped when he found it was locked.

"Shit," He swore under his breath. "What do I do now...?"

Still sitting in the corner a few floors up, everyone listened intently. Much to Larry's anxiety, he suddenly heard a knocking from the earpiece.

"Are you knocking on the security door?" He asked, shooting at glare at Morton and Lemmy when they dared to smile.

The door opened. "Can I help- what the hell?!"

Roy burst in and shoved the security guard down onto the floor, Junior rushing in and closing the door behind them. "Surprise, asshole."

As he scrambled towards the panic button under the desk, Roy grabbed the guy and shoved him up against the wall. "Oh no you don't, not on my watch!"

"Roy!" Junior spoke without thinking, suddenly shaken by the brutality. "Don't hurt him!"

"I won't... too much. At least prison is good for one thing; knowing how to rough someone up the right way."

"N-no, no please!" The guard wailed, a skinny and gangly looking sort who seemed like he was all talk and no walk. There was no way he could anything with Roy around. "Don't kill me! What do you want?! I'll give you anything!"

"You'll give us the codes to the seventieth floor vault, bucko," Roy ordered as he pulled out his gun and put it under the guard's chin. "If you can do that without pissing your pants I might just let you go."

"W-what?! No way! I can't give you guys the codes, I'll- I'll lose my job!"

He pressed the gun harder. "Tough fucking tits. Give it to us now."

"O-okay! It's 7941!"

Smiling, Roy nodded to Junior.

"Did you guys get that? It's 7941."

Immediately, Larry leapt to action. "Got it. Thanks, Junior. Now hold down the fort there. It's our turn now."

Grinning, Roy took the guard over to the other end of the room and seated him down on the couch, gun still pointed at him. The guard, frantic and twitchy, looked over to Junior who was putting the jack down next to the door. All he could think about was how he was going to lose his job over this. The one day he actually decided to come to work... he only kept swearing to himself under his breath, followed by quick glances towards the console.

Roy waved his weapon again and gave an 'uh-uh-uh', like anyone would to a little kid. "No way. You ain't going near that."

On the cameras, blurry images of three figures approached the vault. Larry looked at his watch - it had just ticked over to 9:30; they couldn't have timed it any more perfect! With everyone on standby, he eyed the keypad and tapped the numbers in.

 _ ***BEEP-BEEP***_

He let himself release a breath. The code had gone through...

... but the door wasn't opening.

His heart pounded hard in his chest as he felt his anxiety return. He swore to himself and opened the mic. "Code worked, but the door isn't opening."

"Hold on a second..." Iggy tapped away at the keyboard. "Looks like there's a few additional layers of security. Seems like it requires validation from the security room downstairs and some other things. Roy, Junior, can you approve the opening sequence from where you are?"

Roy and Junior looked at each other and, after a quick nod, Junior approached the workstation - it was abound with monitors any keyboards, looking at every little part of the floors it was assigned to. Guards walking to and fro, in and out of sight with flashlights. It was crazy, he'd never seen anything like this before in his life. Iggy interrupted his thoughts.

"Can you see a program or a prompt or something that you can accept?"

He saw it - just a simple text box on one of the computer screens. He clicked _'accept'_ and it disappeared.

"I got it," He said. "What do I do now?"

"Nothing. Just sit tight everyone, I'll work my way through the system and see if I can hack the process apart."

Larry bent down in the darkened corner again. "Do it quickly Iggy, I don't know what schedule the guards are on." Morton had craned his head to see anything, but the corridor remained perfectly dark. Still that did nothing to ease the tension between the three.

"Huh... that's weird," Iggy sounded unsure for the first time in his life. "It's... no, it's fine."

"What is it?"

"Just saw some traffic on the network. I thought it was something else, but it's just the requests being sent to the server." More tapping. "Okay, done. Door should pop in just a moment..."

A loud groan startled them immediately. Jumping up, Larry grasped the unwieldy handle and spun it open without hesitation. The faster, the better. He motioned Morton and Lemmy to quickly come over. The inside was just a small enclave that lead to the inner room - already they could see that it was more than a simple vault. Rows of deposit boxes and mini safes lined the walls and were flanked by metal ladders. It seemed like it would shoot all the way up into the heavens, which was an apt way of describing how any thief would feel if they managed to get in there.

Lemmy was about to take a step forward into the main hall, but an arm quickly shot up and stopped him.

"Don't!" Larry hissed. "There could be lasers. Iggy?"

"Can't do anything from this side. Junior, you need to man the controls and disable the lasers."

Downstairs, Junior looked up at one of the cameras - inside he could see the three of them just beyond the main room. His fingers skitted nervously over the keyboard, wondering what to do. He didn't take computer science in high school! Why was he doing this? He shut his eyes in frustration. "I don't know how to do it."

"There should be a command prompt on one of the stations, Junior. Find it, type 'vault_70 disable_lasers'... huh, I didn't think they'd be so literal with that command."

Finding it quickly, he typed in the command just as Iggy had described it. He sighed with relief when the command went through and was confirmed.

"Yep, good job Junior. Lasers are down. Just keep in mind everyone that you have about five minutes before the lasers will activate again. I'll let you know when that is."

Pushing Lemmy now, Larry ushered everyone into the main hall and spied the fleur-de-lis immediately on the floor. "This is it! Lemmy, get to it!"

He saluted. "Roger that!" Kneeling down and placing the bag beside him, Lemmy had an almost joyous look on his face when he dug through the bag and pulled out something that almost looked like a glob of clay that reminded Larry of Nick's art projects from school. It was slapped down onto the tile with a nice meaty 'thwack!' before Lemmy began to babble on. "This stuff is good. Some of my own experimentation actually, would you believe that?"

Morton stood very far away. "How the hell do you manage to make your own explosives?" He asked nervously, sharing that nervousness with Larry.

"I was in the circus. They have old fireworks and other pyrotechnic stuff laying around," Lemmy said like it was the most obvious thing in the world. "When you're not doing anything this eases your tension. Don't worry, this stuff is low-key. It's like putting a fire cracker into a toilet. You ever do that?"

"No, I was a good kid in high school." Larry replied.

"I didn't mean high school. Anyway," The last of the wires shoved in, he pulled out a lighter and began to unwind a fuse. "I'm not saying we're in any danger here... but you guys should step back."

Larry checked to make sure the door was closed. He could only hope that no guards were close enough to hear them.

The fuse burned with a very audible 'fizzing' sound, bathing the inside of the vault with a nice orange glow. Lemmy stood a few feet in front of the duo, watching on excitedly as it got smaller and smaller until...

 _ ***BANG!***_

Bits of tile sprayed everyone in a cloud of smoke and dust. Coughing loudly, Larry was made aware that he couldn't hear anything but a ringing and a faint voice.

"That was awesome!" Lemmy whooped as he tried to clear the smoke, turning around and expecting to see the same excited faces from Larry and Morton but instead they staggered out looking dazed like someone had lit the bomb under them. "Sorry..." He said sheepishly. "I forgot you guys aren't used to it."

Once the ringing in their ears stopped and the smoke had cleared, Larry shifted the rubble out of the way and grinned at the result; Lemmy had come through and blown a neat little sized hole in the floor! Under it seemed to be a small metal hatch. If the artifact wasn't in there then he would be paying a visit to Bowser right after they got out. He motioned for Morton to come over.

"Looks like this needs a lockpick."

"Easy! Let's crack this!"

Roy was sitting down on the couch opposite the security guard, gun still pointed at him, and looking bored. "Can I just shoot this guy already?" He asked out loud.

"No!" Junior said.

"Aw, you're boring."

"We don't kill anyone!"

The big koopa smiled and continued looking at his hostage. "Hey, anything to liven the mood would be great. You ever rough something up, kid?"

"No."

"You should. It gets some pent-up stress released."

Junior scrunched his nose and turned to the monitors. "You are messed up."

"I'll take that as a compliment."

Suddenly there was a knocking on the door. Junior pulled out his gun and readied it - what is this?! They had only been down here for ten minutes! How could the guard change already?!

Dropping his casual attitude, Roy motioned for Junior to come over and take his place. The knocking continued.

"What are you doing in there?!" A very accented voice called through. "Are you sleeping or jerking off again?"

Junior motioned with his weapon to the guard.

"Uh, what do you want?" He called out while Roy took a spot behind where he would be hidden if the door opened.

"I just left something in there! I wanna get it!"

"Can it wait?!" The guard replied, looking nervously at Junior's gun. "I'm kinda... kinda busy here."

"You're watching fucking cameras, what is there to be busy about? Look, if you're going to be a lazy asshole then I'll come in and get it myself!" Without warning, the door suddenly flew open. "I swear to fuck, you can't even do one simple-"

Roy had jumped from behind and tried to whip him with his pistol; however the guard was quick and spun around to block it. He had obviously some strength as he seemed to push Roy against the wall easily. Junior went to get up but Roy managed to struggle out a sentence.

"Don't! Keep- a- eye- Junior!"

He didn't have time to realise that he had made a big mistake; looking away. In a fraction of a second the first guard had jumped Junior, lunging straight for the pistol while he was distracted. Flying off the couch the two rolled and struggled to wrench the grip from the other's hands. Finding more strength in the scuffle, Junior managed to push him away with a foot. Except he had almost made his second mistake; the guard was right next to the panic button.

Raising his pistol, Junior fired a shot.

Almost in slow-motion he watched as the guard slammed the alarm under the table before taking the bullet to the shoulder and collapsing, his heart pounding in his ears from the adrenaline surge. He didn't register anything else until Roy shook him out, having freed himself and knocked out the other guard.

"Fuck!" Larry swore, alarm sounds ringing in the background. "What the hell is going on?!"

Pulling him up roughly by the arm, Roy growled. "Junior let one of the guards activate the alarm!"

"What?! Are you fucking kidding me?"

Iggy took a breath, seemingly trying to steady his nerves. "Police response will be there in five minutes. Wendy, we need you at the helipad immediately. We're pulling out."

"No we're not!" Larry yelled as Morton picked the lock. "This isn't a lost cause. We're almost through!"

Ripping open the door, Roy and Junior made their way to the stairwell. "We're heading back up to the roof."

"Okay! Guns free, everyone. If they shoot at you, don't hesitate. Do not kill them though."

"I think Junior just made his first kill..." Roy grumbled, a very pale and shaking Junior following behind him up the stairs. The building was blaring with alarms and red lights flashing all throughout. Fuck, they were so close and... ugh! Why couldn't a job just go smoothly? Especially one like this!

Larry paced around, his pistol in his hands and thoughts fuming as Lemmy cranked open the vault door. "Morton I don't mean to rush you but you gotta hurry this shit up because the kid messed this up!"

"I'm on it Larry!" Morton shot back without looking away, trying to not let the pressure get to him. Still, nothing about the situation was calming his nerves.

Iggy spoke. "Three minutes, everyone."

Just as he was about to turn back to Morton to yell at him, Morton flung open the safe door. "I got it!" As quick as he could he grabbed the artifact - from what Larry could see of it, it was round and shiny like a big coin. That was it before he shoved it into his bag.

"Let's go, let's go!" Larry ordered. "To the stairwell, now!"

As they ran past the windows in one of the offices, Larry caught sight of something he did not want to see. Police helicopters. How in the hell did they get here so quickly?! Clenching his teeth he followed in behind Lemmy and Morton up the stairs, panting to keep his breath steady.

Suddenly, a bullet whizzed past his face and struck the wall nearby, spitting bits of concrete onto him. He dove to the side, Lemmy and Morton stopping to help. But Larry waved them off.

"Go, fucking go! Get that thing out of here!" He screamed at them as he fired a few shots back. The metal railings didn't make for good cover and occasional metallic pings sometimes sounded like bullets hitting flesh. Grimacing and hoping that he hadn't actually killed anyone, Larry found the perfect time to stand up and make a break for it.

Or so he thought.

A guard covering his buddy saw the opportune moment to break cover and fire wildly at him.

Pain ricocheted through his leg as he fell onto the stairs, clutching his ankle. "Ah, fuck!" He swore as he watched the blood pour out of a nice big bullet hole in his ankle. "Fuck! Guys, I'm hit but keep going! I'm not too far up from the roof!" Willing himself up through the pain and adrenaline, Larry took agonizing step after agonizing step up the stairwell as fast as he could. Every breath he took felt heavy, every time his left foot hit the concrete it felt like a million hot needles were burning through him.

It was the worst, most intense pain he'd ever felt in his life.

He slammed his way through to the roof, where the helicopter was. Freedom was almost there! Everyone was covering him... all he had to do was get there!

The rain had picked up tremendously and, not concentrating, Larry slipped and fell just a few steps outside of the door.

This was it then. He was dead. The guards would come and pepper him full of holes and that would be that. He wasn't aware of how he couldn't hear or feel anything until he felt his body being tugged. Pulling up his very heavy head and looking, Lemmy's frightened face came into focus. He was yelling something at him.

"I ain't leaving you Larry, but you better get up!"

But it was too late.

"Police! Don't move!"

He swung his view around and fell onto his back as Lemmy let go - the barrels of a thousand weapons wielded by a thousand angry SWAT officers were standing above him. All that he could do was limply put his hands up and surrender, hoping that the others could get away.

Behind them, the helicopter thundered away.

"Wendy, turn this fucking thing around!" Roy yelled at her. "We can't leave them behind!"

Morton was staring horrifically at the scene as it got further and further away - Larry and Lemmy had been caught. Roy's screams lingered in his ears and he could only turn to Junior, who was sitting in the seat with his mask off and looking like he was about to pass out. The kid had gotten them arrested.

Wendy screamed back. "I can't do that! They're gone! We have to get out of here!" She looked at Morton. "Did you get it?"

Nodding silently, he fished inside his bag, hoping that he hadn't dropped it when running back.

"Yeah." He said simply, showing it to everyone. It was a large copper coin with markings on it and a presence that radiated something bad about it. Morton even had a bad feeling just holding it. Maybe it was because that they had lost two men to this damn thing already. Whatever it was, it was Bowser's now. The helicopter thundered through the skyline of Neo City, weaving and dodging around buildings and disappearing behind the hills at the bay. All that they could think of was one thing.

Was it really worth it?

* * *

"This is units one-fourteen, we have two suspects arrested at the Neo City Bank & Trust..."

Larry moaned in pain as he struggled limply against his handcuffs, Lemmy walking alongside him with a worried expression. The arresting officers had given Larry first aid treatment at the scene, but it seemed like that was the only thing they were going to do. He had asked the officers to get Larry to the hospital to treat him, but they only responded that they needed to save the guards that they had shot in a biting tone.

"Here you are Chief," One of the officers said as they approached one of the SWAT vans. "Two of the arrested, as requested."

Lemmy let out a stuttered gasp.

"Good. Any word on the others?"

"They have fled in a helicopter, but we are chasing them as we speak."

"Please keep me updated. Now..."

He forced himself to look up and confront who it was standing in front of him. It didn't make the pain any better.

Ludwig smiled and tapped a finger on his folded arms.

"Hello Larry. Lemmy. It has been a while, has it not?"

* * *

 _A/N: Bet you were wondering when Ludwig would appear. Thank you for reading and reviewing!_


	9. Kings In Exile

_Quick note: Italics in dialogue means the characters are speaking a different language than English._

* * *

 **CHAPTER 9 - Kings in Exile**

 _LOCATION: Neo City Police Department, Neo City, Darklands Kingdom_

 _TIME: 10:30PM_

The last hour had gone by in a blurred mess of red and blue lights. Despite everything that had just happened the actual process of rationalising through his brain wasn't working to any sort of expected level. Instead, the emotional shock of the situation had dulled his senses to nothing. Well... he could see and hear and all that, but the fact that his memory was fuzzy made him guess twice. The room they were in was sterile and white, but it wasn't like a hospital. It smelt bitterly of years old smoke. Combined with a haunting presence, Lemmy couldn't help but wonder what the heck had gone on in this room before.

This wasn't his first rodeo with the police, far from it, in fact. But he'd never been shackled to an empty and quiet room awaiting his fate. They'd just take him, throw him in a holding cell and charge him with a misdemeanor or something, maybe an illegal explosive charge thrown in for good measure. Nothing like robbing a bank though.

He wondered why they were even in here. Were they going to ask them every little job they had done in the past?

A quiet moan of pain to his right dismissed his thoughts. "How are you?" He asked Larry softly.

"Not too good..." His face was somehow flush and pale at the same time. He was hunched over on the right side of the table, rattling the handcuff on his right wrist uselessly. He wasn't even sure what that would accomplish - it felt like a weak cry for help or maybe he actually just wanted to break out. Lemmy dared to look down at his ankle; the bandage was turning a nice crimson red again. One of the officers who had put them in here had also changed the bandage to a fresh one, but from Lemmy's limited experience with medical practices, it didn't seem like it was helping much. "I don't miss this part of the job..." He joked in a weak tone of voice, trying to smile for his friend.

The gesture was appreciated, but failed miserably. "We need to get you to a hospital." Lemmy affirmed - his irritation at the unwillingness of the NCPD was showing more and more.

Larry patted his hand. "Nah... I've had worse. I just need some drugs and bed rest. Maybe someone could stitch it up though..."

The door opened with a loud creak that echoed throughout the room.

 _"Good evening, gentlemen."_ The chief greeted them.

Larry lowered his gaze to a frown as he stared at Ludwig; ten years in the making and this was what he had finally achieved - wearing a fancy suit and having all the power in the city. Nothing had changed. His weird and almost Germanic accent contrasted against the way he spoke both Japanese and English. It was a voice that lured you in and made you into whatever he wanted and it was obvious that Ludwig knew what power he held. No one was surprised that he had attained such a high and classy position for the work he did back in the day; Ludwig had the ambition and the guts to do what he did. Now here he was in the future with his well-toned frame (a hint of living in luxury showing through) and his years of street-smart experience that had elevated him to this position.

It was humiliating when he casually sat down before them and linked his fingers together. His gray eyes scanned them back-and-forth for a few quiet moments before he spoke.

 _"No words for your old friend?"_

They continued staring at him.

"What, you forget our language?" Ludwig chuckled. "Don't tell me it hasn't been that long."

Larry shot back with a seamless transition. _"I haven't. I just haven't seen any need to use it."_

 _"Fair enough. After all, Liza was not from here so I can understand you'd be willing to change for her."_

How dare he bring her up.

"Anyway," He slipped back into English. "Continuing on with our previous discussion, it is funny seeing you two here after a long time. I wouldn't think that after North Ashor you would be willing to go back into the business. What an establishment you picked, huh? Reminds me of the old days of when we'd talk about robbing the Bank & Trust..." He put a hand to his chest, feigning disappointment. "I'm hurt you didn't invite me."

"We didn't need you," Lemmy shot back. "Why would we get a traitor like you, after all?"

The chief simply chuckled again and looked to Larry. "Yes. Tell me why," He drawled. "But first, tell me why you robbed the Bank & Trust. Nothing of interest like cash or gold or jewellery was taken, but I was told that there was instead a neat hole in the floor and something missing from a precious lock-box. That sounds suspiciously like the modus operandi of Lawrence Koopa and Lemmington Koopa..."

"Oh, shut up." Larry looked away.

"Plus a few accomplices. Where are they, by the by? Mind if you tell me? It would be great if you could tell us, considering that we lost track of them just now."

Lemmy gave a laugh. "Yeah, like we'd tell you anything. We're not telling you squat, ain't that right Larry?"

He was quiet for a few moments, but eventually nodded. Ludwig gave a 'tsk-tsk' of disapproval and stood up, pacing around and ending at the one-way mirror with his hands behind his back. "If you tell me we can apply more medical assistance to your foot, Lawrence. After all, we were friends once upon a time and it pains me to... well, see you in pain."

 _"Fuck you!"_ Lemmy spat harshly, his chair clattering noisily onto the floor as he stood up. _"Don't you dare say that! Look at him!"_

"Lemmy..." Larry said quietly as he tried to calm his friend down, despite his consciousness starting to waver. "Don't. It's not worth it. He's just trying to rile us up and make us say something stupid that he can pin on us."

"It is unorthodox that we have two suspects in the same interrogation room so I would listen to Lawrence, Lemmington; he has the right idea, although it would make things easier on all of us."

"You can't bug me out Ludwig. I mean... I've been shot before. This... this is nothing..."

He was sweating and breathing heavily now. It was obvious to anyone that his condition was worsening, but by sheer force of will was Larry keeping himself up. Lemmy calmed down immediately and tried to tend to him as best as possible, ignoring for a brief moment where he was and who was with them. Ludwig rounded to them, staying a good distance away nonetheless, and inspected the injury. His lips was pursed, a small hum coming from his mouth as he looked over it with varying degrees of facial expressions.

It was telling that Lemmy noticed his gaze change to one of sympathy, if only for a brief second, before he opened the door. "Aiba?"

The officer standing outside, Aiba, responded. "Yes, Chief?"

"Please fetch some painkillers and water, as well as a first aid kit. One of the suspects requires further treatment on an injury."

"Right away, sir."

Larry panted and pulled his head up. "Isn't it protocol or something to... to get any injured suspects treatment?"

"Yes... but I feel that if you did that, you would be dead by then."

"What... ?" Larry muttered, looking to Lemmy who shrugged as the chief retrieved the items he had requested. Two pain pills and a plastic cup of water clattered onto the table in front of him as Aiba attended to his wounds with a first aid kit. He eagerly took the pills and the water - the adrenaline from the hour before had reduced his body to a quivering and thirsty wreck and he was all too happy to imbibe anything, even if it was gross police station water.

He shared the water with Lemmy as Aiba stood up with the first aid kit holding a bloody bandage in his hand and an opened bottle of antiseptic. Larry had barely noticed the stinging from the antiseptic onto the wound, but looking at it he felt a quiet sense of relief at seeing the fresh bandage wrapped around him. Ludwig nodded and patted the officer on the back.

"Well done. Go wash your hands and come back."

Aiba nodded. "Yes, sir." As he left the room, Larry couldn't help but give out a pained laugh.

"That one of your charmed lap dogs?"

Ludwig took particular offense to this. "No. Officer Aiba is one of the best in the department and I would hope you show him a bit of respect considering what he's just done for you."

"All you police dogs are the same, just with a different coat of paint-"

The table jolted as Ludwig slammed his palms onto them. "And what, do you think being a heroic criminal is the better option?! Everywhere you go you bring pain, death, destruction, interruption! All you do is line the pockets of your own while you hurt those who don't deserve it!"

Larry laughed more vigorously as the painkillers began to set in. "At least we're not deluding ourselves! At least we know what we're doing. Yeah, we try to not hurt anyone and if we do, at least we try to make up for it! What have you done for me lately?"

"Who do you think helped you in prison, Lawrence?!" Ludwig yelled back. "How do you think you got off on your sentence? Not for 'good behavior'!"

"T-that's what they told me..."

Even he didn't sound convinced. Saying it out loud, Larry now found the excuse to sound terribly convenient.

"You know what they were going to do? They were going to extend your sentence, put you in solitary for your remaining days and I had to fight tooth and nail with my superiors to get the sentence reduced. You have no idea what I went through to keep you safe!"

The room was silent - for once, Larry was floored at this. He thought he had done everything right while in prison. All the staying out of fights (as much as he could) and all that stuff that could potentially get on the good side of the law... and it was all for nothing? He really was vulnerable and at the mercy of the outside.

"Anyway... we can't talk about this now," Ludwig stood up and reached into his coat. "Time really is of the essence right now and I need you two to confirm something..."

The two of them looked both suspiciously at him, trading glances at each other, until what Ludwig had pulled out made them pause.

Ludwig was holding the artefact, identical to the one that they had stolen, in his hand. "Is this what you stole from the Bank & Trust?"

* * *

 _AROUND THE SAME TIME..._

"What the hell happened?!" Iggy flew out of the office waving his arms like he was trying to swat away a particularly angry cloud of bees; his voice had reached a tone that not many were allowed to witness, and that was sheer anger. Everyone had entered through one of the side doors shaking the rain off their suits. Roy spoke up immediately and threw his hands up as well in response.

"I'll tell ya what happened!" He pointed to Junior. "He's what happened! He screwed this whole thing up for us!"

Morton barged in between them, holding both his and Lemmy's bags that they had dropped onto the helicopter before. "Hold on a second! No one 'screwed up' anything! It was those stupid guards that did us in!"

"Well ya know what, he might as well have pressed the button! For all the good having him with me, I could have taken both of them myself!"

"There were two of you and two of them and you couldn't fight one, so I doubt it," Wendy shot back dryly. "Look, what's happened has happened; we can't fight over this bullshit. Larry and Lemmy would want us to finish the job and that's what we're going to do."

Iggy nodded and took a breath. "You're right Wendy, we gotta hand this off to Bowser and then we can focus on getting both of them out. After all, he owes us big time for this." He held out his hand. "Anyone got it?"

Morton fished it out of his bag, giving a side glance to Junior who was standing very far away from Roy in particular with the balaclava crumpled in his hands. He felt a twinge of sympathy for him, it was never easy on your first job and this was an expert level that he was not experienced for, no matter how much he was prepared. Still, it was such a rookie mistake to make and now they were paying the price.

In the end though, his heart wasn't in it to give the kid any shit. He seemed like he was getting plenty enough from Roy anyway.

Iggy held the artifact up to the light and spun it around several times, his eyes intently flicking through all the little carvings on it; it was a little thing to steal, nothing like the material amounts of gold and coin that they had pilfered throughout the years. It was coin-shaped but that did little to ease the anti-climatic feel that welled in his stomach. Bowser wanted this thing? Still, Iggy wasn't one to judge and there was something alluring about the item he held in his hand.

The tiny carvings were written in Japanese, plain as day. "'The way shall be free, for those who seal all'," He read out loud. "'One of three to the sacred site of old.'"

"... The fuck does that mean?" Roy said.

"I don't know, just seems like some historical thing..." Iggy replied, although he didn't sound convinced at his own explanation. "Either way, it's not our prerogative. That's Bowser's, and he owes us big for this thing. Come on, let's give him a ring."

Everyone gathered in the office, sans their sneaking suits, as he dialed in the number. It didn't even ring twice before it was picked up.

"Did you get it?" Bowser asked immediately.

Iggy rolled his eyes. "What, no 'hello'? Yes, we have it here."

"Good... good. Your antics are on the news at the moment, I was wondering if one of you were arrested."

"Shit..." Roy muttered under his breath, turning around to turn on the office TV. Flicking across to the news as they spoke in the background, he saw the news footage of a huge police barricade on the ground level of the Bank & Trust. A reporter stood there looking stern, as they always did, not paying attention to the rain thundering down on her in the moment. The volume was off but it was obvious what she was saying - the place had been robbed and they had arrested two of the members.

"Two of them, actually," Iggy replied. "So you owe us big."

"As much as I would like to help, Ignatius, this is out of my hands for now," Something rustled on the other end - it sounded like he was moving quickly. "I underestimated a lot about this job..."

"Papa?" Junior spoke for the first time. "W-what's going on?"

Bowser immediately switched to a more fatherly tone. "Junior... hey, you're okay?"

"Yeah..."

"Good... good. Listen everyone, I want to apologise in advance for this; I severely underestimated how hidden I was away from them and... and I think by the end of tonight, I won't be alive. They were watching the bank, I knew it. The police and... and the Sutaoda."

Junior felt a shockwave throughout his body. "D-Dad...?"

"Junior. I'm so sorry... I had to get you away from all this. These guys are the only people I trust to keep you safe. When I put you up to task, there was an ulterior motive behind it. It wasn't the best one but it was the only one I could think of."

"The Sutaoda...?" Iggy repeated to himself - 'Order of the Star', it meant. What was going on?

Shots rang out quite loudly over the line, snapping him out of his thoughts. Junior had pressed himself up fully to the desk and clutching to the only lifeline he had to his father at that very moment.

"Junior... p-please don't come after-"

 ***BANG***

"DAD!" Junior wailed now, but Bowser could only give a small chuckle between the line starting to get fuzzy.

"I'm fine Junior... I'll be fine-" ***KZZZT*** "Stay with the- -don't fight- -everyone, you must- -trust Ludwi- -he will-"

Even Roy had turned back, listening to the entire conversation play out. It was crazy that only a short time ago he was meeting with the man face-to-face and now he was witnessing... well, his murder. There was no other way of describing it. All his anger towards the kid had dissolved in an instant. The wails of a kid forced to grow up too quickly were apparent.

The line cut out, leaving Junior hanging his head and sobbing quietly.

Bowser was gone.

And it was weird - a pang of grief rushed throughout his stomach amid the half silence of the office. He didn't think he'd feel anything for a man who was messed up as any of them were. But here they were, immediately mourning someone that they had barely known really.

"Wait a sec," Morton spoke up as the spark hit his brain. "Ludwig? Did he say Ludwig?"

Wendy dared to breathe as she stared at Junior. "Y-yeah. He did. What... what does he have to do with this?"

They were all jolted by a slamming of the table - Junior looked up and spun around to face them, the fury of a thousand tears in his eyes. Without a word he bolted out of the office, which caused everyone to immediately jump up.

"Woah woah woah!" Morton yelled out after him. "Where the hell are you going?!"

His heavy footsteps reverberated throughout the warehouse. "I've got to save him!" Junior replied. "I'm not going to let him die!"

Roy was hot on his heels. "No you're not, kid! Didn't you hear what your old man said?"

"Yes! Yes I did! But I'm not going to listen to you!"

He stopped immediately; without warning, Junior had pulled out his pistol and aimed it down straight at him. His tears were streaming hard down his face, his teeth clenched with fury and sorrow.

"Don't you dare," The gun shook in his hands. "I'm going to save my dad, and you're not going to get in my way."

* * *

He was about to lose it now - what the hell was this?! He swore he remembered Morton having it!

"How in the hell did you get that?!" Larry exclaimed - he couldn't comprehend the sight. It was likely he was hallucinating somehow. Ludwig could only chuckle and stowed it back into his coat, seemingly enjoying the reaction he got out of him.

"I should clarify, this was not the one that you stole. No, I believe that is in your colleague's possession. But there is more than just one. I thought Bowser had told you this when he sent you on this mission."

"He didn't tell us anything."

Ludwig scratched his chin in thought. "Hm... that explains why you did it so willingly. I doubt you two, both calling forth years of experience, wouldn't do this out of anything but pure ignorance."

"Oh believe me, I never wanted to do this," Larry laughed. "I just wanted to stay at home with my family."

He tutted sympathetically. "Quite a shame that I wasn't there to help you with that... again."

Lemmy blinked. His mind was a hazy mess. "Huh?"

Aiba's radio had gone off suddenly and was belching out white noise briefly before a voice came over.

"Attention all officers; gunshots have been fired in the Ashwood Estates area, repeat, a 10-71 in the Ashwood Estates area. All uncommitted units in the area, backup is requested, we have a 10-54..."

Larry and Lemmy looked at each other. That was where Bowser lived. Ludwig had been thinking the same thing, because his brow furrowed immediately at this.

"Aiba?"

"Yes, sir?"

His eyes flicked to the windows of the interrogation room. "Please to prepare my transportation. Get as many officers down into the parking lot as possible. I think we've been compromised."

Without hesitation, Aiba nodded. "Yes, sir!"

"Compromised?" Larry repeated out loud. "What the hell are you on about?"

"If you don't stop your comments, I have half a mind to leave you both here Lawrence... but I need you alive," He pulled out a key from his pocket. "As I said, if you two were anywhere else, you would both be dead immediately. If any of you knew the stakes of what you had just done, you wouldn't be doing this," He explained as he unlocked Lemmy's handcuffs. "But now that you've kicked the nest we need to move quickly; the Sutaoda are more organized and deadly than anyone could possibly imagine."

He had just unlocked Larry's cuffs when he took the opportunity to swing at him. However, Ludwig had expertly grabbed his wrist without even taking a step back.

"Lawrence, I'm warning you," His tone had dropped to a guttural growl. "For once, think of the long term consequences of what you're doing. It would be advisable to not get on my bad side."

"Fuck you." Larry spat at him as he wriggled free - Lemmy was at his side and pulling him away from Ludwig, scared that they would start fist fighting each other right there and then. His voice stuttered and flitted between different androgynous tones.

"W-who are the Sutaoda?" He asked as he rubbed his left wrist.

Ludwig peeked out the window. "An organization, or a cult, with ulterior motives. Who the hell knows? All that I know is that they're powerful. I have no doubt that they've been tracking us for a while. It's all too likely that they were on the same network that we were on at the Bank & Trust."

"Wait, you were bugging us?!" Larry exclaimed.

"No, of course not. How would we know when you were going to rob the Bank? No... we knew that one of the artifacts were there for a while and made sure to keep an eye on any activity. Obviously we saw something and thought it was the Sutaoda. We wanted to jump at the chance to apprehend at least one member but... we got you instead."

Larry had sat back down in his chair. "What are the odds of that?" He remarked dryly.

"We suspected that Bowser had ties to the gang, but we could never prove it. He had hidden his tracks remarkably well until just recently; someone had tipped us off about his interests with the artifacts."

It clicked in Larry's head. "So... does that mean he's...?"

"If it is the Sutaoda, yes," His normally stoic demeanor dropped as Ludwig squirmed. "And we'll know for sure. The Sutaoda are no strangers to leaving their calling cards."

"Holy shit..."

Larry couldn't help but think about Junior. He really hoped that he wouldn't have to see his father like that. No one deserved to see that. A million different things flew in his head of the morbid ways he'd next be seeing his former boss, but it all boiled down to one thing.

Bowser was dead.

Funny thing was, despite everything, he felt sad about it.

The door opened and Aiba poked his head in. "Sir? Everyone is ready for you."

Ludwig nodded. "Good," He pulled out a revolver from under his coat and looked over to Larry and Lemmy. "You two, follow us. If any of you stray from me there will be consequences. Got it?"

"Yeah yeah..." Larry grumbled as he shakily got to his feet, Lemmy helping him by the waist as the four of them staggered out to the police station. The slow office activity they had seen coming in had been replaced with the frantic hustle of every officer in the building working hard to ready up their defenses. Compromised, indeed, Larry thought to himself as they rounded through the labyrinthine corridors of the police station and stopping at the elevator.

They all boarded on except Aiba.

"Aiba," Ludwig started. "From now on, Deputy Chief Shiramune will act in my stead. You are to follow all her orders, I authorize it. Do I make myself clear?"

He nodded and gave a salute. "Yes sir, roger."

"Good... and Aiba?" He smiled at him. "Good luck and stay safe."

Aiba faltered from his usually stiff pose, and tilted his hat at him. "You too, Chief. Good luck."

The elevator rumbled down to the lower bowels of the building as Ludwig kept his hand firmly on his weapon. He kept making glances at the two - he looked like he was on edge. Larry should have felt insulted by it, but he really didn't. All he cared about was getting out alive.

Ludwig spoke again. "You two are going to tell me where you have all been hiding out. If we are not too late, we will get everyone out alive."

"They don't know where we are."

"They always know where we are," He reiterated. "It's only a matter of playing for time now. If everyone else hasn't changed much, we will need to combine our heads and get out of this alive."

Lemmy spoke up, still holding onto Larry. "... you do know they could kill you too, right?"

Ludwig chuckled morosely and looked away. "Yes. I am prepared for that. I hope they will hear me out as well."

"Why don't you cuff them to a table as well?" Larry shot back. "That will help."

Even though he couldn't see him, he imagined the older male rolling his eyes like a tired father. "Cute, but not necessary; it is, how should I say it, 'your turf'?"

"You're such a fucking snob. I can't believe we were born in the same town."

Lemmy couldn't stop a giggle escaping from his mouth. It was a nice breath of air, if he could be honest, despite everything that was going on around them. It had been a running joke between Larry and Ludwig about how different they were despite living relatively close-by for most of their childhood. It was a weird coincidence that they would find each other back there also many years later, but life had a funny way of panning things out.

It was the only thought that Lemmy could hold on to to keep himself sane throughout all this. The mature part of his mind was nudging him back to reality, reminding him that he could potentially be dead at any moment.

As morbid as it sounded and maybe it was working in the circus, but he didn't really care. As long as it was quick. But then he thought about everyone else having to see it, and that sucked.

The elevator rumbled to a stop and the metal doors open, a heavy draft flooding their scales with a vigor. Larry, who had spent the better part of the entire interrogation sweating profusely, found it welcome. Ludwig led them down to the lower reaches of the parking lot, where a dozen squad cars were parked in various spots with their lights on. They got into one of the empty squad cars, the second time this night, it seemed. Larry noted the irony of driving away from the station in a police car.

"All units, Chief Ludwig here. Remember what we practiced; scattershot formation. Take evasive maneuvers if fired at, weapons are free if needed..." He paused and turned to the pair in the back. "Where's the safehouse?"

Larry wrinkled his nose. He had no choice. "... Abandoned dockyards in the industrial district. The closed down Onigiri Point docks."

He half-expected Ludwig to laugh. Instead he just nodded and held the intercom up again. "Do not engage in the Industrial District. That is our destination, over."

"10-4, Chief."

"My sincerest apologies in advance for any casualties caused during this. Deputy Chief Shiramune will be acting in my absence. Ready everyone? Let's go."

The squad car rumbled to life, he flicked on the lights and joined the line of police cars as they slowly shuffled their way out of the station. Larry had his head leaning against the window, feeling the effects of the cheap medication start to wear off. The pain was starting to become apparent again and the window being ice cold gave him a bit of comfort. The dim yellow lights of the underground garage gave way to the neon skyline above them as they exited the station.

Lemmy nudged him. "Are you okay?"

"Not dead yet, but not exactly healthy."

"Don't say that. You'll be fine."

He smiled - it was nice to have a bit of confidence to offset his shitty pessimism.

"Yeah, I hope so."

* * *

"Hey now," Morton stuttered as he held his hands up as well, his eyes focused intently on Junior's pistol. "Let's not get too hasty and shoot our friends here."

Junior spat. "You guys aren't my friends!"

"Look kid, that's bullshit and you know it," Roy replied as he tried to intimidate him with his size. "I might have gone off on you and called you some bad things, but again, didn't you hear what your father said? You can't exactly go out there, it's a death trap."

Wendy sighed. "I hate to admit it, but Roy's right; you gotta stay with us. Your father's gone, Junior. There's nothing you can do now."

"I... I gotta do something! Anything! I gotta make up for the fact that I messed this all up!"

"We admire your grit, but for once you have to stay put here. You go out there, you're dead," Roy grit his teeth - he couldn't believe he was doing this for Bowser. "These guys ain't to be messed around with if they can take down your old man."

Iggy joined his side without hesitation, a shotgun in his hands.

"Fucking hell Iggy, why do you have that thing?"

"If he's going to shoot you, I'm going to shoot him back," Iggy puffed his chest out. "I like you Junior, but I'm not going to hesitate to shove some buckshot into your leg if you don't put that thing down."

"Fuck you guys, I'm going," The young man began to edge back slowly, his hands still shaking as the pistol began to feel heavier and heavier in his hands. It was a cold, black brick of death that was obviously getting the better of him. "I don't care if I get killed. At least I care about my family."

He spun on his heels as soon as he rounded some of the structural beams and make a break for the door.

A loud gunshot suddenly fired out, pellets spraying concrete from the beams and the wall behind him. Junior spun back around immediately in fright, Iggy standing behind with the shotgun smoking in his hand. He had barely realised what had happened before Roy suddenly got in front and was yelling in his face.

"The fuck are you doing, you brain-dead idiot?!" He grabbed the weapon quite easily and shoved Iggy backwards, who was quite pale. It was obvious that he hadn't intended to do it on purpose. Morton was quick to grab him with his legs were about to give out and shot Roy a glare.

Iggy stuttered. "I... I- I'm sorry!"

"Did you forget gun school?! Don't put your finger on the fucking trigger unless you intend on shooting!" The exit door behind them slammed - Roy took off after him. "Junior, wait!"

Sighing, Morton handed Iggy to Wendy and took off into a sprint as well. He slammed the exit door open onto the loading bay shortly behind Roy, who had suddenly stopped just a few feet before the rain. Up ahead, Junior had gotten into Iggy's car and had just started it up.

"You didn't get him?!" Morton exclaimed, watching as the car disappeared into the fog. Roy panted and shook his head.

"Nah... if the kid wants to go out there, let him. After all, there ain't anything like family."

Morton's voice had reduced to a pained whisper. "But... he'll be killed though." And it was disrespecting Bowser's only wish.

"If that's what he wants to do, then that's all there is to it. He's old enough to make his own decisions. He doesn't need a couple of old idiots like us telling him what to do."

"Speak for yourself. You're the one who was just badmouthing him an hour ago."

He shrugged. "It happened, I got my voice out there. At least I didn't carve him with buckshot."

Inside, they were back in the office; Iggy was still sitting in the corner and didn't look at either Roy or Morton when they came back in. Wendy looked indignantly at them.

"Where is he?"

Roy scratched the side of his cheek. "He... he, uh, took off. Couldn't stop him."

"What? In my car?" Iggy exclaimed. "Son of a bitch, how did he get the keys?!"

"More like how did the thought of shooting him come to mind as a good idea?"

"Oh, shut up. You're the one who hated him a while ago!"

Morton rubbed his temples in frustration.

"At least I didn't want to shoot him!"

"I'm sorry, I couldn't tell Mister 'Orange-Doesn't-Match-Pink-And-That-Made-Me-Eternally-Mad'! Besides, I didn't want to shoot him either!"

"You had your finger on the trigger, ergo, you were planning on shooting him! That's just common sense, which in your tiny mind, isn't so common!"

"Oh, for fuck's sake, you two!" Wendy screamed at them. "Just shut up for a minute and let's think this through! We can't be fighting, especially with all this shit! We lost a good chunk of everyone, but that doesn't mean we can't do this together! Just get over yourselves for once in your lives!"

Roy grunted and turned away from everyone, arms folded. "It's so easy to be a fence sitter..."

"Iggy," She ignored Roy. "You heard what Bowser said, right? We need to get in touch with Ludwig. He said he's the only one we can trust now."

"You're asking me to call the police station?" Iggy replied indignantly. "Yeah, sure, lemme just call the Chief of Police himself like it's a casual thing."

"Just do it and stop whining."

They all stood by as Iggy dialed the number for the police station through a burner phone; Wendy was pacing around to every corner of the office, Roy was staring at the wall and Morton had his arms folded and was perched on the desk next to Iggy. The atmosphere was thick with tension it was practically a soupy mess. They waited as the call went through.

"No emergency, I would like to speak to the Chief of Police. It's... urgent," Iggy spoke. "N-no, I don't have an appointment... No! This isn't a prank call! No, I'm not on drugs- look, can I please speak to Ludwig? ... what? What do you mean he's out?"

Their ears perked up.

"He can't be out! This is literally an emergency! His life is on the line- no, no, please don't hang up! Please don't-"

The dial tone greeted him.

"Shocker," He deadpanned to them. "They didn't believe me. Well, what do we do now?" Adjusting his glasses, his eyes wandered over to the camera feed. At least that was still working. When no one said anything, he was content to drum his fingers on the table. Roy had suggested keeping themselves armed at all times now and to not go near any windows. The old defense method, hole up in one spot until something happens or they die. It suited Iggy just fine. He wasn't going to go outside any time soon.

He was nursing some cheap instant coffee when some activity over the camera caught his eye.

A car was pulling up into one of the alleyways beside them.

A police car.

"Guys? The cops are here."

Roy burst into the office immediately. "What?! How the hell did they find us?"

"Don't ask me! But... it's only one." He peered closer to the screen - when the figures came into the light, he gasped and jumped out of his seat. "Open that door, quick! It's Larry and Lemmy!"

Without hesitation, everyone had rallied to the garage door and hoisted it open. Larry and Lemmy were indeed there, slightly wet from the rain but otherwise no worse for wear. Morton wrapped them both in a big hug, whooping for joy at the return of his friends. It wasn't until Roy shoved them behind him and growled loudly that he took notice.

"What the hell is he doing here?!" He pointed a finger accusingly at Ludwig, who stepped in with the grace of a silent cat.

Larry swallowed, his throat tasting of sandpaper. He had gone pale in the face. "Guys... you're not going to believe this, but he's going to help us."

* * *

 _A/N: Everyone is back together, but the stakes are high now. At least, I hope that's been conveyed convincingly enough. Thanks for reading again and stay cool!_


	10. Explanations

**CHAPTER 10 - Explanations**

Everyone had fallen into silence as they stared at Ludwig, standing there tall and firm. His eyes slowly scanned over everyone in front of him and took in their figures; they hadn't changed much overall, but it was the small details that spoke the most about them. At least, that was everyone except Iggy. His lips pressed against one another in confusion as he looked over at the lanky male, an eyebrow perched, at how disheveled the man looked. But Iggy stared back with nothing but a weird grin. It was as if he wasn't sure whether to hug Ludwig or punch him.

At the tone of Roy's snarl, he turned his attention to him. "Nice to see you too Royson."

"You cost me ten years of my life, you little weasel! You think you can walk in here like we're cool or somethin'?"

"If I can be honest, it wasn't in part of the plan to capture you. I was more focused on Larry and Bowser."

Roy's hand twitched towards his gun, but Wendy had noticed and stopped him.

"But that's beside the point-"

A pained whimper came from behind him - Larry had almost fallen when he tried to step forward, but he was caught by Morton quickly. "Didn't they fix you up?!" He asked incredulously and looked up to Ludwig, who simply shrugged.

"As I said before, if he went to the hospital, he would be dead."

"Yeah, whatever," He began to hoist Larry up with an arm around his waist. "I'm gonna fix him up. Someone has to, at least."

" _Nah... no, no, I'm fine Morton_..." Larry tried to protest, but he was already on a bed in the main part of the warehouse by the time he could get the words out.

Everyone stood by as Morton pulled out a first aid kit from under one of them. No one in the gang was a qualified doctor, so to speak; Morton probably had the most experience if his stories of college were anything to go by; his parents had wanted him to be a doctor, but he instead chose to study engineering and then drop into the gang. Out of everyone else, he might as well be the most qualified. He gingerly unwrapped the bandage and discarded it into a nearby waste-bin.

"Well it's nice to know that the police cared to put some first aid on him," He frowned at Ludwig. "I don't see why he couldn't get treatment right away though."

Lemmy rounded to the other side of the bed, away from Ludwig. "Yeah... that's what I said."

Ludwig couldn't suppress the sigh that came from his mouth. They really weren't this out of the loop, were they? Then again, judging by Larry's reaction to the whole thing it wouldn't be out of the question. He had always pegged Larry to be smart... otherwise they wouldn't be alive at all by now.

"I suppose I should ask what you all know then," He pulled up a chair. "What did Bowser tell you when he first contacted you?"

"He called me a month back and asked me to find everyone for one last job," Iggy replied. "It was a favor for him if I could be honest, because he got me out of a tight spot a few years prior."

"You never mentioned what was up with that," Roy said. "Are we finally going to know?"

For the first time in his life, Iggy looked slightly embarrassed at the reason. "Okay, you wanna know? I got into debt with the local mob because I gambled some of the money we made away. I couldn't pay them back the first time so they found me and kneecapped me."

Everyone had varying reactions to this; while Roy laughed, Lemmy had scrunched up his nose and tried not to seem disturbed by it. Morton and Wendy shook their heads. Perhaps the mystery of it finally being solved felt like, in retrospect, it was a waste of time to bother with.

"So ya had a gambling problem then?"

"No," Iggy shot back. "I was bored. That's it. I didn't spend all of my life savings right away. But I called out to Bowser and he offered to settle the debt as long as I be in the city when he calls for me. Heck, he even paid for my hospital bills as well."

"Sound like it wasn't worth it though," Roy motioned to his lower body. "Ya got a bum leg now, ain't gonna do much good."

Iggy deadpanned. "You're a ray of hope through all this, you know that?"

The antiseptic had been applied to Larry's wound and now came the hard part, stitching it up. Morton had experience with stitching wounds before, but he realised he would have to do both sides since the entry and exit wounds went straight through his foot. The only thing that had stopped Larry from dying altogether was the flimsy bandage that had clotted some of the blood. He threaded some string through a small needle retrieved from the kit and tied it quite well.

"Larry," He spoke and patted his leg. "I'm sorry I don't have anything better, but I'm gonna have to stitch up both sides of the bullet hole."

Larry sighed. " _... Is it going to hurt?_ "

" _I'm not going to lie; yeah, it will._ "

" _Great..._ "

Ludwig interrupted. "Okay, so Bowser told you about this job. Did he mention anything else... like what you would be stealing? Who was involved?"

"Nothing. He said nothing except we would be breaking into the bank," Iggy said. "Didn't tell us anything about the Sutaoda-"

He was suddenly grabbed by Ludwig. "How the hell do you know about the Sutaoda?!"

"Uh... Bowser said so? Just... before he-"

"Died. I know... he's dead. Gunshots were reported about half an hour ago."

Larry was staring at the ceiling of the warehouse throughout all this, trying to ignore the stabbing pains in his foot as Morton slowly and methodically stitched him up; it was still a weird sensation to feel given how much he despised Bowser for putting him in this position. He wondered if Ludwig was feeling the same as well... but knowing him, he was probably just sad that he couldn't get to him in time and make another high-profile arrest. Exhaling and lifting himself up slowly, he looked around.

"Where's Junior? I haven't seen him around..."

He caught Morton's 'deer-in-the-headlights' expression and put it together immediately.

"N-no... don't tell me the kid-"

"He's gone. Took Iggy's car and went to try and rescue him." Roy said.

Ludwig nodded matter-of-factly. "He is dead too then. His involvement will not go unnoticed with the Sutaoda. By the way, how did you manage to get Bowser's son roped into this?"

"Bowser... Bowser gave him to us as your replacement." Larry fell back down onto the bed. The chief suppressed a snort - the thought of anyone replacing him, especially Bowser's son who was a high profile man all his own, was a better solution.

"Well, anyway, do you have the artifact with you?"

Iggy nodded and pulled it out from under his jacket. "Here." His eyes widened when Ludwig pulled the exact same one out from his pocket.

"Two of them?!" Morton gawked for a brief second as he tied up the first side of the wound.

"As I explained to Lawrence and Lemmington, there is more than one artifact in the world. There are three - one was in my possession, one had been deposited into the Bank & Trust and no one knows where the third one is," The coin-shaped object glowed brilliantly in the artificial light of the warehouse. "But it's apparently valuable enough that the Sutaoda have been hunting for these for quite a while."

Roy frowned. "How in the hell did you manage to get one of them, anyway?"

"It is a long story, and I'm pretty sure you all aren't police officers," He shrugged. "But we're on a need-to-know basis and I'm feeling generous to my old friends, so I'll make this quick..."

* * *

 _LOCATION: Kuppa Fungi Town, The Border of the Darklands and the Mushroom Kingdom_

 _TIME: 11:54PM, Four Years Ago_

The dry ash of the wastelands behind him quickly fell into grassy knolls as he drove along the highway, coffee steaming in the cup holder to his left and nothing but the blinding darkness surrounding him. It didn't help that the moon was being obscured by a thick layer of clouds. The overcast had rolled through the border and was making its way up to the Darklands. If Ludwig was lucky, maybe he'll make it when there's a bit more natural light.

He sighed and tapped the steering wheel subconsciously. The radio had blared out nothing but slow, country tunes throughout the drive. It was the only radio station he could get out there and he'd rather have something to listen to instead of the silence. Music always relaxed his nerves and, in times like this, he couldn't afford to slip up.

If Ludwig could be honest, he didn't want to deal with the knights. They always thought that they were better than the other kingdoms they ruled over - he was lucky to have never had any in the Darklands while he was on duty (until now), but he'd heard horror stories from his former superiors about how stuffy and pompous they could be. The relationship the Darklands Kingdom and the Mushroom Kingdom held was a strange one. It was a trust of mutual and beneficial respect, but it ended at that. There was respect but there were no niceties about it; they just wanted to get on with their own lives.

It suited him just fine, but figures that something like this had come up while he was the Chief.

Well, if it wasn't one thing, it was another.

He took a sip as he drove slowly into the border town - the cobblestone roads were lit up by the deep glow of the orange street lights above him. Patrons of the night life were staggering up and down the sidewalks, Toads, Koopas, Goomba... Sometimes he saw them mingling with one another, sometimes they remained in separate groups. He even saw one sitting on the curb drinking himself stupid. He was about to arrest him, but he reminded himself that he wasn't part of the jurisdiction here. Begrudgingly, he drove on.

The meet was at a part of land just past the immigration train station, governed by nothing. It was neutral and the perfect spot to keep each other accountable; if anything happened while they were on their respective lands, it was liable to cause more problems than solve it.

He parked at the train station and wrapped himself in his overcoat. The long drive better have been worth it for this, but he wasn't feeling optimistic. Pouring the coffee out in a nearby planter and tossing the cup into a bin, Ludwig walked up and over the platform. It was empty, no surprise there; usually, people traveling came in in the morning. There were a few people loitering around waiting for a train to Neo City as well as a few bored security guards, but it was otherwise quiet as can be.

The outskirts of the train station was nothing but open grassy fields and a simple sign marking the area where no one had any power. No one could try anything and everything was out in the open.

Up ahead, the industrial lights nearby lit up the people across the grass from him. With a small grin at the corner of his lips, the Chief steeled himself and stepped forward.

"Good evening, gentlemen," He greeted them. "I trust I'm not too late to the exchange?"

One of the knights shook his head - he was clad in a crimson suit and the armor on the right side of his arm gleamed in the light; hence the name. Ludwig wasn't sure if it was for show or because humans weren't afforded as much natural protection as they had with scales.

"Not at all," He stepped up straight to the middle and stuck his hand out. "Chief Royal Knight Mario. This is my partner and brother, Vice Chief Royal Knight Luigi."

Royal Knight Luigi waved with a smile. "Pleasure to meet you gentlemen," Ludwig shook Mario's hand. "Chief Ludwig Von Koopa of the Neo City Police Department."

"I believe I've been acquainted with your predecessor once."

"Most likely. It seems like we must correspond with the Royal Knights every few years or so."

Mario chuckled. "Believe me, if we could make it a more friendly outing I'm sure we would be all for it."

"One day, perhaps. Anyway, the Princess asked of me?"

"Yes," Mario motioned Luigi to come over. "She apologizes that she cannot visit personally, but her affairs have been keeping her back lately. This whole business with the Order is stressing us."

"The Order?"

"The Sutaoda. Aurik did not tell you?"

"No. I had to find out for myself, but I didn't think that this was what the exchange was about," Ludwig said. "I was under the impression that this was an evidence swap."

"We apologize, Mr. Ludwig; our intentions were vague for safety reasons," Luigi bowed. "It was insisted upon and we had no choice."

"As long as you give me the full explanation, bygones will be bygones." In truth, that was a bit of a lie on Ludwig's part - he was only being courteous for the sake of it.

Mario nodded as he was handed something. "We've had reports of Order activity all over the kingdom. They haven't stepped into the major cities yet, but they've been upturning smaller towns. Dragging away folks for conversion, digging up known burial sites and cemeteries, even a few reports of robberies, all during the night. They never strike during the day and like to stick to the shadows. As you can imagine, this is a big risk just us being out here... but the Princess insisted that we deliver this for you."

He held up a coin shaped object in a gloved hand. A brow raised, Ludwig held it up to the light and tried to adjust his eyes at the markings on it.

"The heck a bunch of cultists want with a coin with this?"

"That's no ordinary coin, Mr. Ludwig," Luigi said. "It's an artifact revered by the Order. They believe it will open the heavens and bring back the true ruler of all the kingdoms. There are three of them and, while we know the locations of them, we've sworn to uphold secrecy."

Ludwig made a skeptical face. "Pardon me, but that sounds a bit far-fetched. It's just a cult."

"It isn't. The Order once had all the artifacts long ago and they tried to unleash the power contained within, but it was put to rest by the Royal Family long ago. The Princess has been holding the locations of each artifact for years now. The reason why we're giving this to you now is that we believe that the location of this artifact is known to the Order."

He turned to Mario. "So you're giving it to me now? How did you know that they know?"

"One of their members fed us information after we captured them. For all we know, he could be lying... but we didn't to risk it. We sent a team to retrieve it so we could get it somewhere else."

"And you ask me to hold onto it?"

Mario shrugged and folded his arms. "To be honest, Mr. Ludwig? We were against the idea as well. But the Princess insisted that we move it, at least temporarily, to throw them off the trail. She also thinks highly of Neo City and believes that it will be in safe hands there."

"She does know I'm not Aurik, right?"

"Hah, yes, she knows. But she believes that you follow well in Aurik's footsteps and would take this seriously. So we're handing this to you now..." He clasped gloved hands over the artifact, before stowing it inside his overcoat. "And we trust that you'll keep this safe and secret from everyone?"

Ludwig sighed. "Anything to keep my Mushroom Kingdom superiors happy."

"Just this one thing, Mr. Ludwig. Oh, and, try to remain discreet. No one should know about this except us and the Princess," He stepped forward and shook Ludwig's hand warmly. "The Mushroom Kingdom owes you and Neo City a world of debt, Chief. Do not worry. We will keep our ears to the ground and let you know if there is anything. But for now, you should be fine."

Luigi spoke up. "It should give us time, at least."

"Exactly."

"You owe us big for this." Ludwig said.

"Can't promise anything Mr. Ludwig, but we can talk and negotiate once we decide that the artifact is safe enough to be returned home."

"I'll keep you to that."

He watched as they walked back to their side of the field, the Mushroom Kingdom side, before Luigi turned and waved back at him.

"Bye-bye, Mr. Ludwig!"

The Chief simply gave a meager wave in return, a half confused expression across his face as he watched the knights disappear into the dark. The artifact bounced heavily in his pocket as he made his way back to his car, thoughts running through his mind; what story had they given him? For all he knew, they could be giving him some sort of weapon.

But Ludwig could read people, and if they were lying to him, they were doing a fantastic job at it. He frowned in thought and pulled out of the parking lot. A long drive back awaited him but at least he had something to look into now...

* * *

"... and of course, I did my research. Seems like they've been mobilizing all across the kingdoms under Mushroom control over the past few years," Ludwig concluded. "They have just flown under the radar and taken us all by surprise now."

"Shit," Roy breathed. "You're actually serious about all this, aren't you?"

"Of course I am! I'm not here to tell you all fairy tales."

"Well, what do we do now?!"

The Chief stood up and began to pace. "We have two artifacts now and we need to find the third one. That means one thing."

"What, we go and ask the Princess?" Larry laughed. "Ludwig, that's impossible. It's just as you say; we'll all be dead before we could get to the Mushroom Kingdom."

"You are right. We cannot poke our heads out now that the Sutaoda are onto us... we need somewhere to play for time, at least," He looked around the room. "I don't suppose it would be too much to ask whether any of you have somewhere to stay?"

Everyone looked at each other before slowly shaking their heads. Everyone except Lemmy.

"Uh... I think I might have an idea..." He said. "It's a long shot though."

"We'll take anything we can get, Lem," Larry said. "What is it?"

"When I joined the circus there were four brothers working there. They were acrobats who had performed a lot before they were found and hired to go on the road with us. We sort of became friends really quickly and... and," Lemmy sighed and gave a sheepish look. "I'm sorry everyone, but I told them what I had done before I joined..."

"What?!" Larry and Roy exclaimed (Morton sighed at his concentration being broken from the stitching).

"... and they were cool with it. They didn't tell anyone, kept it a secret... don't worry, I trust them. They retired last year but I've kept in touch with them; they own this big sorta castle out in the countryside and I think it would be a good place to stay, at least until we can get ourselves together and fixed up."

Ludwig nodded. "If that's the only option we have, I'll take it."

They stood by as Iggy handed Lemmy the only burner phone they had now. As he dialed the number, Morton finally threaded through the last of the string and wrapped up with a bandage. " _How's that feeling?_ "

Larry grimaced and rolled up. "Still hurts, but better than nothing. _Thanks brother._ "

" _Hey, no problems._ I'm going to go clean up."

"Don't take too long." Ludwig said.

A smile appeared on Lemmy's face as the phone picked up. "Hey! Hey, it's Lemmy... y-yeah, I'm still good. Sorry, did I wake you up?" He frowned. "Oh, you're still doing that? A-anyway... I need to cash in on a favor, hear me out? ...Great. Look, I'm in a bit of trouble here... no, nothing like that. I've got a bunch of friends here and we're..." He paused and looked over to Ludwig. The older male caught the silence straight away - it was a quiet question of permission. After a quick thought, he simply nodded. "We did something and we've stumbled onto something big here and we just need a place to stay for the time being- what? Really? Just like that? O-okay... I don't know when we'll be there. We'll just turn up whenever we can. Okay... okay... thank you so much Yellow. You're amazing. Okay, bye." He tossed the phone back to Iggy and gave a fist pump. "They're good for us!"

They all breathed a sigh of relief as Morton came back, rubbing his hands with a damp cloth. "We got somewhere to hide out?"

"For the time being." Lemmy reiterated.

"Do we have transportation though? I doubt all seven of us will be able to fit into one police cruiser..."

Wendy clapped on the shoulder. "Say no more, Chief. Got a helicopter out there all waiting for us."

"Oh, that's right - the helicopter at the scene of the crime," He deadpanned. "I can't believe just a few hours ago we were wondering where that damn thing was."

"Well now you know where it is. I've still got some energy left in me. Lemmy, where's your boys' place?"

Lemmy didn't look so sure - they were all pretty tired. "It's on the border near the Grasslands Kingdom. Acorn Hills."

"Think you can do Acorn Hills, Wendy?" Larry asked. "That's a pretty long helicopter ride."

If she was deterred by it, she wasn't showing it. "Pfft, nah. It's fine. I do expect a bed though when we get there."

"Don't worry," Lemmy assured them. "These guys are great. You're my friends so we're all practically family to them now."

Ludwig interrupted. "We won't be able to take much, if not anything at all. We need to get rid of everything here."

"What?" Roy asked. "Why?"

"Because the Sutaoda will find us and they will paw through everything we have here to find us."

Iggy slowly raised his hand. "A-actually... Bowser did have a contingency plan for this... he told me just in case we mess up and the cops arrested everyone, I was given a way to dispose of everything quickly."

Leave it to Bowser to have almost everything prepared for them. It was just like he was planning this all along... everyone tried to not seem disturbed by the amount of detail that Bowser had put into this now that his intentions had been blown wide open. Ludwig was steadfast and didn't care though.

"What is it?"

"Gasoline and some fire. Just to burn everything in here."

"Do it. We can't leave anything behind. Larry?"

Larry looked back at him and couldn't help but hold back a small laugh. Of course he'd make him be the leader now that he had to do this. Sighing, he stood up and balanced on his good foot. "Wendy, go start up the chopper. Morton and I will stand guard while she warms it up. Ludwig, Roy, Iggy and Lemmy, you're in charge of getting rid of everything. We don't have to burn the whole place down, but burn anything important that can't be used by them."

Just as Ludwig was about to protest, everyone had split up - time was of the essence now. Roy nudged him a bit rougher than usual.

"Come on Chief," He said in a delightful tone. "Get your inner pyro on."

Oh, how he didn't miss the ribbing.

Iggy pulled back a piece of carpet in the office, revealing a trapdoor in the corner. Roy was still having trouble comprehending what lengths the old man had gone to to prepare them for this. A plume of dust exploded onto them as Iggy kicked the door open with his good leg.

"There should be some gasoline cans down there."

Ludwig raised a brow. "You didn't check?"

"I trusted him."

He sounded embarrassed to even be saying that now.

Lemmy scurried down into the darkness of the basement without a second thought, and gave a call of approval.

"Yeah, they're here!" He appeared at the opening seconds later holding a red can of gasoline; he was straining to hold on, which Roy took with no problem. He handed one to each of them before retrieving his own can and climbing back up. Ludwig scowled as he held his can by the handle and unscrewed the cap, unleashing the almost overwhelming and addictive smell into the office. This was turning into one of those nights, he thought to himself.

Iggy deposited his can nearby and pulled out a baseball bat from behind the desk - a self-defense weapon in case his shotgun decided to have a temper tantrum and not work.

"You guys take everything else. I'm going to clean up in here."

The rest of them nodded and got to work.

* * *

Half an hour later, the four of them quickly dashed across the helipad.

"Everything cooking nicely?" Larry asked as they clamored in, his voice barely heard above the rotors chopping above them. Lemmy would be bouncing in his seat if the whole situation hadn't been so dire. Ludwig coughed a bit of smoke out and sat down next to him.

"Everything is gone. All documents, all weapons, everything. They won't be able to use anything against us now."

He looked out over to the warehouse - he could see the glow of the fire behind the frosted glass windows.

Iggy was holding several bags and passed them over to Morton and Lemmy, but not before fishing something out of one of them.

"The hell you got there?"

"The hard drive," He replied, holding it up - Larry only saw it as a blocky silver brick with some wires poking out of it. "Don't trust it to get burned up or not fall into the authorities." He cast a glare at Ludwig before stowing it into his jacket. Ludwig harrumphed and looked away.

"Everyone strapped in?" Wendy asked when they had all put in their headsets.

Larry gave a thumbs up. The helicopter suddenly lurched into life for the second time that night. Except this time, they wouldn't be going anywhere near the city, they'd be going far away. They knew it wasn't much, but it was a small silver lining in a mostly storming rain cloud. Maybe it was the adrenaline from being shot or the obscene amount of times he's had to have his wounds addressed or just what had transpired tonight, but Larry couldn't deny the overwhelming heavy feeling in his body. As they all leveled out and everyone became quiet, the leader closed his eyes and fell asleep.

* * *

 _LOCATION: Ashwood Estates, Neo City, Darklands Kingdom_

 _TIME: 11:12PM_

His heart pounded heavily in his chest as Junior dodged and weaved through every street he could get through possible without being stopped. Every second lost was his father's life potentially lost. He couldn't take the chance. Not now. He would never take any more chances again after this. He gripped the steering wheel and overtook a car in front of him and roared down the normally quiet residential streets. "Please Dad... please, please, please..." He whimpered under his breath. "Please... please be alive..."

The sight that greeted him down the end of the road was not good. "No..."

Police cars had a small perimeter set up around the front gates of his house.

His house.

Those fucking monsters had invaded his house and killed his father.

A police officer stepped out in front of him as he hit the brakes. Without a second thought he threw the door open and made a run for the entrance.

" _Woah woah!_ " The officer exclaimed, catching the young man before he could jump over the tape. " _Sir, I need you to step back please-_ "

"My father! Where is my father?!"

" _Sir, please, calm down-_ "

"Let me go!" Junior wriggled in the officer's grip. "Please, I want to see my father!" He tried uselessly to wrestle himself out, but it was no use - the officer was stronger than he was and had easily held him down until his body could give no more. It was only when he was reduced to sobbing that he was let go.

" _Sir, I'm sorry but this is a crime scene. You need to stand back and-_ "

Junior shouted. "I live here! This is my home! I'm his son, Bowser II!"

That made the officer pause for a few moments before he pulled out a walkie-talkie. " _Uh... Detective? Bowser's son just arrived on the scene, over._ "

" _Send him over to me._ " The voice crackled back. With a nod, the officer took Junior by the arm and began to lead him under the tape and through the sea of police cars, officers and witnesses that were dotted all over. His vision dotted with a confusing array of red and blue lights and no matter how much he tried to blink, it just wouldn't go away. His breath caught in his throat as they neared to the front gate; it was opened but nothing looked different otherwise.

" _Detective, here he is._ "

"Thank you officer," The detective said - he was a Koopa, but a different species of such, the ones that had the beaks instead of the bulbous noses. He was tall, fairly young looking and wore a leather jacket. It was as much as Junior could get before he was swamped by words and questions. "You are Bowser's son, correct?"

"I... uh, yes." Junior shook in his clothes. "B-Bowser II, Junior..."

"Detective Henry. I'm sorry to get down to this straight away, but I'll need to ask you a few questions," Henry had pulled out a notepad and a pen. "If you're able to. I can imagine how much this is overwhelming, but I can't permit you to go inside."

He looked to the mansion - nothing was able to be seen from the street, but Junior tried hard not to imagine. "Okay... I-I'll try."

Henry smiled warmly and lead him away. "That's all that matters. Now, first, how were you alerted? As far as I'm aware of, no one has attempted to contact you."

"D-Dad called me. He... we talked until I heard shooting."

The detective nodded and scribbled the answer down. "Where were you at the time of the phone call?"

Junior paused - he'd almost blurted out specifically where he had been. "Neo City. I was over there with friends," It was a sort of half-truth. "I drove over here as fast as I could..."

"To save him?"

When he said that out loud, Junior felt too embarrassed to even reply.

"How did you get here?" Henry continued, seemingly not noticing.

"I burrowed a friend's car."

"They didn't drive you?"

Junior swallowed. "I panicked. I kind of stole the keys and took off without them."

The detective raised a brow, but noted it down anyway. "Well... given the circumstances, I'll let that little act of theft slide. After all, it was an emergency. But... Mister Koopa, sir, I don't know what you expected driving over all the way here. If you had arrived any sooner, I have no doubts that you would be dead." He looked over at the young man - he was shaking and sweating and looked like he was about to pass out right there on the spot. His face was pale like a Boo. Against his usual work ethic, or maybe he just felt bad, Henry put the notepad and pen away. "Listen... I know you want to know about your father..."

"What's happened to him? That's all I care about." He looked up at him, his crimson eyes pleading for some sort of answer, any answer. He needed closure.

So when Henry sucked in his breath and his expression grew grim, his heart dropped to the pit of his stomach.

"I'm sorry, Bowser," He said quietly. "We haven't seen your father's body in there."

"... what? What do you mean he's gone?"

"The team inside haven't found him yet. We've found security and one perp, but otherwise nothing."

Junior tried hard not to cry, but his body lurched forward in a sob. "I... I know who did it!" He exclaimed as he rubbed one of his eyes with the ball of his palm, causing Henry to look on him with interest.

"You do?" He tried not to sound too skeptical, but he pulled his notepad again anyway. "May I enquire how?"

"He... he told me. Before he... it was the Sutaoda."

The detective almost dropped his pen. "What? What do you know about the Sutaoda?"

The young man sighed and ran his hand through his hair - he couldn't believe everything that had transpired thus far. Everything was going downhill and his whole life had been ruined. Everyone else was probably dead or scattered and he had just... left them there. Left Larry to die, left everyone to fend for themselves... his father's words echoed through his mind again and again. But... he never did mean that. He never was there, he was just selfish and caring about his own needs! Why did he do this?!

Everything had fallen apart. There was no choice in this. He only hoped that no one would be mad at him.

"They..." He started. "I've seen them before. They've been over before. Dad has done business with them before..."

Henry's demeanor a lot more active and alive as he scribbled down note after note. When Junior didn't continue, he simply nodded and patted him on the shoulder.

"Sir, if you'll consent, I'd like to have you down at the police station for further questioning."

"... Do I really have a choice?"

It then occurred to him... they knew who he was.

"You do. But if it is the Order, like you say, I think you'll be much safer back in the city," The detective waved over a patrol officer. "We cannot take any chances, especially with an attack like this, so it pays to be proactive. Now... Officer? Please escort young Bowser to the Neo City Police Department and give him some comforts."

"Right away, sir."

The officer began to lead Junior away.

"Don't worry," Henry assured him. "We'll take care of you. I will be at the station relatively soon."

The officer smiled as she lead him by the arm gently. "Is that your car there? I'll call in someone to take it to the station."

"Thanks..."

Henry reminded him a lot of his father, funnily enough - no-nonsense and spoke seriously; only their expressions really betrayed how they felt. But could he really trust a cop? Especially one who suddenly seemed so interested in him when he had something to offer? Junior looked up from the backseat of the patrol car and watched as the detective spoke to presumably his partner and disappeared behind the fence of the front garden - was he ready to really entrust himself with someone like him?

He could only hope he had made the right call.

* * *

 _LOCATION: Nutmeg Point, Acorn Hills, Darklands Kingdom_

 _TIME: A Few Hours Later..._

The helicopter rocked him gently from his sleep... wait, he was asleep? Ludwig stifled a yawn and tried to will himself awake, but his eyes were heavy and his body wasn't feeling ready to start moving yet. Blinking the sleep away, he tried to adjust to the dim light of the interior. The three shapes of Iggy, Roy and Lemmy were across from him, also deep in their own sleep; Iggy was sprawled out on the side, his face up against the window, Roy was in the middle like a status with his arms folded, and Lemmy was almost curled up in the seat way too big for him.

A small mumble from his side caught his attention, and it was Larry - he was also still asleep and still breathing, thankfully. If he could be honest, he wasn't sure that Lawrence would have survived through the night. The wound he had sustained was pretty severe... if Ludwig believed in miracles, he would say that this was one.

Sniffling from the cold, he retrieved the headphones sitting on his lap and put them on.

"Hello?"

Wendy's voice came through. "Hey there Chief," She said - her tone was neutral, if not a bit exhausted. "Not too far now. I think we should start waking everyone up."

"Get Lemmy up, at least," Morton yawned. "He knows where to go."

"It's a castle, it can't be that hard to spot," Nonetheless, Ludwig leaned over to Lemmy's seat and shook him awake. "Hey?"

The small man stirred awake. "Mmmmf..." He pawed for the headphones. "... Yeah, what's up?"

"We're in Acorn Hills. What are we looking for?"

"It's overlooking a big lake... just outside town," Lemmy leaned over the window as the Chief began to wake everyone else up. "It'll be easy to see."

The last one to wake up was Larry, who had come dangerously close to being asleep on Ludwig's shoulder. Saving him the embarrassment, Ludwig was content to push him further away, which got him awake anyway. "Damn..." He mumbled into the microphone and shook his head. "How long has it been?"

"Three hours," Wendy replied as he stretched. "And I think I see your castle. Is that it?"

Everyone looked out - down below them was a spectacularly lit castle standing out in a forest of darkness. It seemed like the four brothers that lived there was living the high life. The lights were on in the land surrounding the area, making it easy to spot. Lemmy couldn't help but give a tired grin - that just seemed like them, to be prepared for their arrival. He was ready to roll into a nice warm bed though more than anything.

"Yeah, that's it. Think you'll have to land on the lawn, but I don't think they'll mind."

The helicopter drew closer and closer to the ground - Wendy maneuvered that thing like it was nothing. The last jolt as they landed was a bit harsh, but making do with the grass was fine enough. Everyone was just thankful they were on solid land. Roy threw the doors open with a grunt as the sound of the helicopter winding down gave mercy to their ear drums.

"Hey, there he is!" An energetic voice called out - they looked up to see a Koopa with a yellow shirt streaming towards them with the biggest smile on his face. "The man with the explosive plan! Lemmington, how are you, buddy?"

Lemmy beamed back as he was swept into a hug. "Hey! Not too bad Yellow, nice to see you're chipper as always."

Yellow laughed and dabbed his forehead with a towel he had slung around his neck. "You know me, still haven't lost the spark. I hope the landing was alright - tried to light up the yard as much as possible so it was easy for you to see... but I didn't know you were coming in a helicopter!" He threw his hands out spectacularly at it as Larry limped out slowly. "Wowee, you really are living in style! And you bought some friends as well!"

"Yeah... these are all my friends. We go way back."

"Uhh... Roy, Iggy, Wendy, Morton and Larry! Lemmy's told me all about you guys!" He looked over to Ludwig. "... don't remember you though."

"Chief Ludwig Von Koopa." He said simply, causing Yellow to recoil back slightly.

"You're friends with him?"

Lemmy sighed. "Kind of... it's a bit of a weird story."

"Say no more. If he's with you, then it's fine by us," He waved everyone over. "Come on guys, we'll get you all settled inside. Don't make too much noise though, everyone else is asleep."

Roy looked skeptical - the castle reminded him a bit of prison. "How many rooms do you have?"

"Buddy, it's a castle. It's got as many as you want! We like to have the family over so we're thankful for them."

Roy and Morton shared a look as they rounded over to the entrance, which Yellow unlocked. Throwing it open, everyone was confronted with a large, lavish entrance hall that would make any millionaire blush - it was uniquely medieval with a certain Oriental charm to it. Grinning, Yellow again threw his hands up in a dramatic fashion and exclaimed.

"Welcome, Lemmy and friends, to the Koopa Bros Fortress!"

* * *

 _A/N: Time to give a bit of love to the Paper series and to expand characters a bit. If you've come this far I'm so thankful. Like, really thankful. The reviews have been encouraging and I want to give this fic the best treatment it can get. Of course, if anyone has any constructive criticism on style or word length or anything like that I would like to know so I can make it any better! Take care, everyone!_


	11. The Next Morning

_A/N: Just a fair warning, it gets a bit graphic in this chapter. Nothing too harsh, but I should still do the content warning._

* * *

 **CHAPTER 11 - The Next Morning**

 _LOCATION: Neo City Police Department, Neo City, Darklands Kingdom_

 _TIME: 5:09AM_

Something swirled restlessly in his head. It never made shapes or patterns or anything recognizable; it was like the wind, never there and never seen, only its presence could be felt. That was what he felt. He felt the longing of family, the gentle love of friends and a simple life. It ached at his core. Something that he knew now was not attainable. It never would be. The demon that called it his shadow cackled in his ears, blaming him for all the death that he had caused. He couldn't see it, but it was there.

It simply laughed at him until it faded away into his ears and replaced itself with something else.

"Oh," Henry said. He was holding two coffee cups. "You're awake."

In the broadest sense of the term. Junior mumbled something and rolled himself up from the couch, his body aching and heavy and his joints screaming for a proper bed. The coat that he had been using as a blanket slid off uselessly to the side - it hadn't helped much, but it had kept him asleep long enough.

The bitter smell of coffee took over him. "I didn't know if you drink it, but I got you something anyway."

"Thanks..." He murmured, taking the cardboard cup and grasping it between his palms. The warmth washed over him and made him feel a little bit better. Blinking away the sleep, he watched as Henry slid over to his desk and began typing something on his computer. His eyes were less focused than the night before. He didn't seem to have the same sort of demeanor as he did and his typing movements were slow. "Did you sleep at all last night?"

Henry looked up. "Not really. I'm a night owl anyway. Took a nap a bit ago, maybe that's what you're seeing?" He gestured to his face. "I'm not really classy when I wake up."

"You and me both."

He took the time to get up, stretch and survey his surroundings - Henry's office was lived-in, that was for certain; the police issued desks and computers were apparent, but Henry had his own knick-knacks and other things lined around his desk. Junior observed a flag for one of the local racing teams and a few pictures of what he presumed to be his family. The detective must have noticed him looking, because he was right behind him. "Those are my folks." He said, pointing to the picture that he was looking at. Junior looked closer - it was a fairly old photo of an elderly couple and, standing in the middle of them, was a younger Henry. He looked like he had just graduated high school.

"You still talk to your parents?" Junior asked absentmindedly.

Only a sigh came out of Henry. "Not really. They didn't really take to my police work..." He didn't sound convinced. "Anyway, I'm sure you didn't come here to hear about parents."

"It's weird... I can't believe what happened, happened just last night. I'm still kind of thinking that this whole thing is a dream."

He patted him gently on the shoulder. "Hey, we all deal with grief in our own way. No matter how you act, it's still sorting through it. Eventually you'll come to terms with it, move on as best you can and make the best out of it. Unfortunately, I'm not a therapist but I can give you some support numbers to help you through your father's death?"

Junior shook his head. "I... I don't think I'm ready. Not yet."

"That's fine. I'm just letting you know that policy dictates that we give witnesses, survivors and next of kin trauma counseling for homicide, burglary, arson and all that."

"Can I leave?"

The detective paused and chewed his lip. "Unfortunately, I cannot let you. The Chief... well, Deputy Chief, has authorized me to be your handler because you're an important witness. You know, the whole Sutaoda thing? Considering your father's close proximity with them she believed it was necessary for you to be under my care, at least temporarily."

"I'm an adult," Junior's expression was not amused. "I can take care of myself."

"With all due respect Mister Koopa, your home is still under thorough police investigation. We cannot legally let you stay at the residence until we have confirmed it is safe for you to return and, considering you haven't given us any line of contact with any next of kin, I was authorized to be your handler until such time."

If he wasn't so tired, he would probably be able to feel the pin-pricks of irritation coursing down his neck.

"... Fine," He conceded, sitting back down on the couch and sipping his coffee like a somewhat annoyed kid. Henry said nothing and instead sat back down at his desk. He immediately went to the phone, which had been blinking for quite a while. He pressed it and began to drink his coffee as well.

 _"You have, one, new message. One message, received, today at, 4:34AM."_

"Detective Henry Nishimura, this is Will down at the morgue. We have just finished examination of the deceased perp and while we haven't been able to have a confirmation on the identity, there are a few areas of interest that might be helpful to the Ashwood Estates homicide investigation. Please call me back as soon as possible, thank you."

Junior swallowed and felt his stomach twist into knots. They got one of them on ice?

Sighing, Henry picked up the phone and began to punch in the number - with how flawlessly he did it, it was obvious that the detective had made many calls to the morgue before. Being a cop seemed pretty depressing, seeing a lot of dead bodies all the time.

"Hey Will, this is Henry... yeah, I got your message just now. Is the body still there? Yeah... yeah, good. I'm going to drive down there, probably will drop by in about half an hour. Can you prep any personal effects for examination? Great. Oh, and..." He looked up to Junior, his face changing through several expressions before he looked away. "I might have a witness potentially coming in. Is that okay...? Y-yeah, okay. I'll see you there." He stood up and put on his jacket. "I'm sure you heard all that, sir."

"It's one of the Order?" Junior asked.

Henry shrugged. "Maybe. He looked different from everyone else, but I can't confirm that. Stranger things have happened. Look, I'm not going to lie to you - if you'll come with me and witness the corpse, I can't guarantee it will be smooth sailing. You do not have to do this. This is just part of procedure for me, however, if you feel you can accompany me down to the morgue and shed some information that would be most helpful to the investigation. But I'm not going to force this. If you want, I can bring some copies of evidence back for you to-"

"No. I'll come with you," He stood up. "If it's a chance that this is the guy who killed Dad, then I want to know."

The detective remained stern. "Please, Mister Koopa, I don't need you there to exact revenge. I'm just hoping with this and your cooperation, we can have a breakthrough on this. But if this is going to take a toll on your mental health, then I will strictly advise against it."

"Detective, I appreciate you looking out for me, but I need to do this. I know I'll regret it if I don't," He took a deep breath. "I need to be courageous."

The drive down to the morgue was uneventful - although the detective seemed hesitant to put the nineteen year old out in public, he reasoned with himself that it was a potential lead in the investigation. The outcome could be good or it could be worse. He was taking a big risk, but it might just pay off.

"If you have any second thoughts, you can tell me." He had assured him all throughout the drive, but Junior seemed convinced. But his courage faltered as they pulled into the parking lot, and it didn't go unnoticed. "Are you alright, Bowser?"

"Y-yeah... I mean... how do you deal with seeing a dead person?" He asked, his mind thinking back to last night when he had shot the security guard and how this could potentially be the second time he's now seeing a corpse. It didn't help him at all. Henry patted his shoulder again.

"The first time is a weird feeling. And the second, and the third, and the fourth... it's something you get used to."

Nodding, they both walked into the morgue quickly from the rain, which had begun its daily downpour. The interior of the building was cold and sterile, and it sent shivers down his spine. It smelt somewhat of death, but the clean kind where everything is washed down and made sure that nothing could infect anything. But he said he would do it, and do it he would. For Dad, he thought to himself over and over in his mind. Henry approached one of the doors that was open.

"William?"

"Come on in."

Nodding, Henry directed Junior and stayed by his side as they walked into the room. A wave of anxiety washed over him as the first thing he saw was the body. It was sitting in the middle of the room on top a metal table, everything but the face covered. It looked pale and asleep, but there was no denying it. The first thing he thought of was the body suddenly coming to life, the eyes springing open and ready to pounce on everyone. He swallowed the bile in his stomach and stood a bit further away as Henry took over.

"Hey Will," He shook his hand. "This is the witness, Bowser Koopa II. Mister Koopa, this is William Zehm, the coroner for the NCPD."

Junior braved stepping forward just a second to shake his hand as well. William was an older looking koopa with a stone-faced expression that never seemed to change. However, he could see the sympathy behind his eyes - no one Junior's age should have to deal with this.

"Pleasure to meet you sir, although we all wish it was under better circumstances." William drawled. Henry rounded the table and stood next like it was nothing.

"So William, what can you tell us about the perp?"

William pulled out a clipboard. "Identity still unknown, but the cause of death was a punctured artery caused by a bullet wound to the heart and he bled out on the spot. Time of death I would say was around... 11PM last night."

The detective nodded. "That corresponds with the time the reports came in. Any evidence of an exit wound?"

"No. The bullet was low caliber, stuck straight in one of the chest cavities. I pulled it out and sent it down for examination."

"What kind of round was it?"

William shuffled some papers. "It seemed to be a common 9MM, usually discharged from handguns."

Junior spoke. "The security guards at home carried Pinrita 9MMs."

"Usually used by private firms as a sidearm," Henry nodded, satisfied with the information. "Makes sense then."

"A Pinrita was retrieved at the crime scene, so that collaborates with your explanation, Mister Koopa. It seems that whoever committed the homicide though were using different kinds of weapons," The coroner picked up a bag with a shell in it. "We found several of these in the main foyer."

"Looks like a rifle round."

"Look closer, Detective, the round isn't modern."

The detective blinked and twisted the bag around to get a better look. "Huh... you're right. This looks old. What the heck were they doing with cheap ammo?"

"If I had to guess, they were probably using old rifles. It isn't uncommon for criminals to have older models. I would probably guess a Nokorinko Type 52."

Henry laughed. "You can't tell me that Will, those things are decades old. I thought they'd all rusted away or become collector's items. But what we can deduce from this is that either the criminals are collectors of old antiques and happened to use these or they're running low on options."

"It's just a guess, Detective. We don't know for sure," He wondered over to the table where Junior was sitting at, where several items were laying about. One of them were standing out so obviously it was hard not to notice. "I suppose these are personal effects?"

William joined them. "Yes. This was what he had on him."

Putting on some gloves, Henry gingerly picked up the first item and scrunched his nose at it as it unfolded. "What the hell was he doing with a black cloak?" He looked up and saw that Junior was staring intently at it, his eyes flicking back and forth before he caught his gaze.

He had recognized it. There was no lying on the look of recognition and fear that was apparent across the young man's face.

"Beats me," The coroner said with a shrug. "If I didn't know any better, I would say we're dealing with our old friends across the line."

"The Order, yes. Evidence and eyewitness testimony is heavily leaning towards that line of thinking."

"Well, aside from his clothes and the bullet we pulled out of him, he was carrying nothing," Junior dared to look at the body again while William talked. "No ID, no wallet, no money... which would push the explanation further into 'Order of the Star' territory."

"I would say we can nearly confirm it then." Henry said, before looking over to Junior - all that was left to do was discern the motive. So far, everything was lining up into nice puzzle pieces. Henry should have been glad for that... but there was something that was bothering him. His instincts were telling him something was wrong in the overall picture.

But in the end, all that the detective could do was shrug. "But we have a lot of testimonies and other things to pore through back at the office," He took off the gloves and adjusted his jacket. "Be sure to contact me when you get the results back and find out who the perp is. If this poor bastard left a family behind, we'd have to get in touch with them."

Will nodded. "Will do, Detective. Thank you for coming down so early in the day. I hope the investigation is a little more closer to being solved."

"That's what they always say, until someone throws you a curve ball. Anyway... Mister Koopa sir, are you ready to leave?"

Junior looked up. "Yeah, I'm ready to go Detective."

"Please, call me Henry. See you around, Will." He waved back as they left the building and back into the rain - Henry was about to enter the car when the sound of dry heaving came from behind him; Junior was bent down and clutching his knees, looking like he was about to throw up.

Poor kid... no, the kid was only a few years younger than him, but Henry got the distinct impression that this was someone forced to suddenly grow up... well, it was either that or seeing a dead body for the first time. The optimistic part of him wanted to favor the latter.

"Fucking... shit..." Junior coughed, although he hadn't thrown up just yet. But he looked up at the detective having gone completely green in the face. Henry tried to resolve the situation the only way he knew how.

"If you are going to throw up, do it in the garden," He said. "I have some water with me if that will help you...?"

The kid waved it off. "No, no... I-I'm fine. I'm just a bit... overwhelmed," He panted. "I don't know what... I was expecting."

Henry gave a light chuckle and lead him towards the car. "It's never easy your first time. Honestly, people hear the possibility of a dead body and they faint on the spot. All things considering, you've done very well at this point."

"Y-yeah... t-thanks Henry." He was already downing the bottle of water by the time they were out of the parking lot.

"We'll go back the police station and I'll need to log what we've just seen and then, when you're feeling like it, I would like to chase up a few things with you, Bowser."

"... Like what?"

"What you said to me last night. How you have seen them before. They dealt with your father?"

"They... they did. That black cloak... I remember it... they were at home before."

Henry looked ahead. "When we get back, I want you to recover - go rest on the couch or walk around the station. Have something to eat or drink if you can, and when you're ready, I want you to give me every detail you have. I'm not going to lie, Bowser; your words could be the biggest breakthrough of this investigation. I want you to clear your mind and remember everything."

"I'll try, Henry. I promise."

That was all he could promise, at least for now. Closing his eyes and trying to will the nausea away, he tried to clear his mind and let him think back to that time...

* * *

 _LOCATION: Ashwood Estates, Neo City, Darklands Kingdom_

 _TIME: 10:29AM, One year ago..._

"Welcome home, sir." The driver had said to him with a smile, leaning over the back of the seat and looking at the young man - he was excited to finally be home. Summer vacation had started and getting out of the boarding school in the mountains was the best thing to happen currently. Even as he waved his friends goodbye and he knew he'd miss them, there was no denying that Junior was ready to roll into his own bed and sleep it all away. No more learning, no more books, no more rules... the excitement was palpable, even to the elderly driver who had picked him up and driven him from the airport.

"Thank you!" He said happily, jumping out of the limousine as the driver rounded to pull his bags out. Just as he was about to bound up the steps to the front door, the driver caught his arm.

"Just a fair warning Bowser sir, your father is currently in a meeting inside, and has asked for me to let you know."

Junior sighed with a smile - that was his father, always working, even when he was coming home. "That's okay. Thanks for letting me know."

The driver tipped his hat and wandered back to the limo. "Safe travels."

True to his word, the foyer and the mansion at large was completely silent. It wasn't anything Junior wasn't used to, but if he could be honest, he had expected a little bit more fanfare than this. Not even the security guards were on shift... maybe they were just swapping out. Shrugging, Junior dumped his bag at the foot of the staircase - unpacking could come later - and made a beeline straight to the kitchen. If his father wasn't there to greet him, then he should have made it up to him by supplying some of his favourite soda.

Score! There was a six pack sitting in the corner of the refrigerator waiting to be opened.

But, just as he grabbed a can from the cardboard packaging, he got the feeling that something was behind him. Cautiously, he turned around and, despite anticipating it, almost had a heart attack at the sight; a lanky person shrouded in a dark cloak was standing right behind him. How the hell did they even get in here? He hadn't heard him!

The figure chuckled at his reaction and pulled the hood down immediately; the angular features of the koopa was all too apparent, as was his striking heterochromatic eyes, one blue and one brown. Despite it, it was hard to discern the figure's age... or even if he was a he. "Apologies if I startled you," They spoke in a smooth tone of voice, although the accent didn't match his appearance. "I was curious as to the noise in the kitchen. I was assured that the mansion would be empty, after all..." They held out a hand. "You must be Bowser's son, correct?"

With his own shaking hand, Junior took it hesitantly and shook. "Y-yeah. Bowser Koopa II."

"Niko Ito..." They smiled a weird grin. "A pleasure to make your acquaintance finally. Your father speaks very highly of you." The way that they looked over Junior made him very uncomfortable, even though he knew that there was nothing that he could do to him... it was that weird predatory look that he couldn't make heads or tails on whether it was malicious or he was just eccentric. Either way, he didn't like it. "What do you have there?" They asked, looking down to the pink can that he was holding.

"Uhh... soda. It's my favourite..."

Niko chuckled before his head snapped up at the sound of a voice.

"Niko! Where are you?!"

"In the kitchen, Bowser."

The tall and muscular koopa walked in quickly, looking quite worried, but upon seeing his son, his smile widened. "Junior!"

"Hey Dad." Junior tried to smile, but the whole situation had put him off. Nonetheless, he was happy to wrap himself into a hug with his father. Bowser chuckled that low rumbling laugh that always seemed to put him at ease. It was a way of assuring him that things were okay.

"Don't mind Niko here," He said. "He might be a bit weird, but he's harmless."

Niko feigned offense. "Oh, on the contrary, Bowser. We're all never not harmless. We just choose to make ourselves that way. Some of us give in..." He looked down to Junior again, causing Bowser to cough and interrupt him.

"Yeah well... next time you go wandering off like that, let me know at least."

"As I said to your son, my apologies for my curiosity. I heard him in the kitchen and, as you assured me, we would be alone today."

Bowser grunted. "Eh. Yeah, sorry about that. I didn't think on that." He had his arms wrapped around his son more protectively now, something that didn't go unnoticed by the strange figure. Nonetheless, if he was offended, then he wasn't showing it.

"Well I was finally able to meet your son."

"Yep," He tried to beam above the awkwardness. "I told you - he has the stunning looks of his father and the brains of his mother."

Niko laughed. "Please. I think we can all agree that you are very well educated and intellectual, Bowser. A man of your stature and power wouldn't have gotten to where you are today without your brains. I would believe that your son will follow in your footsteps... or maybe outdo you."

"I couldn't be any more proud of him than I already am if that were the case," Bowser let go of his son finally. "Hey kiddo, go and unpack your stuff. Niko and I are just going to finalize some details."

"About what?" Junior asked.

"Just some prices about some valuables that your father is looking to acquire," Niko replied, adopting a casual stance - hand on his chin, elbow in his other hand. "He's been driving a hard bargain, but that's fine. I like the challenge."

Bowser subtly pushed him away, nodding towards the stairs. "Yeah. Don't worry about it son. Just my hobbies. We all have our hobbies."

"Yeah, sure..."

Just as he walked out, Niko called out again. "I bid you adieu, Bowser II. We shall meet again." That made him shiver more than anything he had experienced in life so far... man, Dad knew some kooky people. Trying to push the thought of the creepy cloaked man out of his mind, Junior lugged his bag upstairs to his room. The safety and familiarity of his room greeted him like an old friend and he began to unpack his clothes...

* * *

"Interesting..." Henry said, typing away at his computer. "And you never saw him again after that?"

Junior shook his head. "Never. Dad always made sure I was out of the house whenever he had one of those meetings. I'm very sure that it was with the same person..." He looked up at Henry - he was neutral in his expression again, which he had quickly learned was just his thinking face. With a few clicks, the detective seemed to be focused on something.

"Niko Ito..." He said to himself. "Let's see if there's a bit of history here..."

Typing away into the database that Junior was now witnessing, Henry simply typed in the name.

Only one result came up.

Opening the file, there wasn't much on there. Not even a photo. But despite that, Henry noted two important details on the file.

"So... while he hasn't been arrested here, it seems that there's a warrant out for him in the Darklands Kingdom. Says here that he was born in the Mushroom Kingdom and the name that we have on file is an alias... ugh, if we had a photo, we could confirm... hold on a second, Bowser..." Stepping back, he watched as Henry picked up the phone and tapped in a few numbers. "Yes, I would like to speak with the Deputy Chief regarding the Ashwood Estates homicide... thank you... Deputy Chief Shiramune? This is Detective Henry Nishimura of the Homicide Department, I would like to request an authorization to open the line with the Toad City Police Department regarding a natural born citizen of the Mushroom Kingdom and his outstanding warrant here... yes, it could potentially be a prime suspect. Okay... okay, thank you Deputy Chief."

Junior was standing back with his arms hugged around his body. "So?"

"She's given me the authorization," He picked up the phone again and tapped in more numbers. "I'll be patched through now and hopefully we can get something... yes, hello? Henry Nishimura, badge number 2-9-0-4... yes, thank you... yes, is this the Toad City Police Department? My name is Detective Henry of the Neo City Police Department and I would like to request a copy file of a natural born citizen... yes, he has outstanding warrants here and in the Mushroom Kingdom. He goes under the alias 'Niko Ito', physical description is yellow scales, tall height, heterochromia iridum... great, can you send it to the file server? Thank you very much. Take care of yourself. Okay, bye."

It took no time at all for the file to be retrieved. Before Junior knew it, Henry had the file up on the computer, looking much more focused now that the full information was right in front of him.

The picture of Niko stared back at Junior - it was an older file, but he still had the same features as before. Of course, there was no denying the eyes.

"That's him?" The detective asked. Junior confirmed with a nod. "Okay... this is our man then. Let's dig in deeper... As said before, 'Niko Ito' was a confirmed alias. Born in the Mushroom Kingdom to immigrant parents around thirty years ago under the name 'Christopher Tanaka', his first stint with the law being when he robbed a store when he was 17. Since then, he'd had outstanding warrants for aggravated assault... burglary... arson and disappeared from his hometown shortly thereafter. Seems like Tanaka here has been involved in the Order for quite a while then..."

"I don't know where he is though." Junior said.

Henry shook his head at this. "That's okay. This is a big step... however, the only thing that's not making me jump out of my seat is that Tanaka might not even be connected to the homicide case, at least directly. He is part of the same organization though so I would be very eager to track him down and question him, if we knew where he was..." He tilted his head, his eyes looking over the details of the file again. "Hm... says here his address is in the Mushroom Kingdom, but it's his parents' house. I doubt he would be there... but assuming his parents are still alive, I think it would be prudent to check this out."

"What are you saying?"

"What I'm saying is..." The detective sighed and rubbed his temples. "We need to talk to his parents. But I'm not allowed to take you out of the city..." He picked up the phone. "But... I have an idea though."

* * *

 _LOCATION: The Koopa Bros Fortress, Acorn Hills, Darklands Kingdom_

 _TIME: 9:09AM_

As far as he knew, Larry was the first to have woken up. The castle was quiet and no one, not even Yellow, could be found within the big empty halls. Sometimes he wondered how the hell that supposed four brothers could live in a big place like this all to themselves. First of all, every room and hallway he went into it was clean. No sign of dust, grime, dirt or mold in sight. It was as practically clean as a hospital. That just bothered him so much that it made him quite annoyed. The company that Lemmy keeps...

... that statement could also apply to him. The irony was not lost.

Bundled in a coat he took from his bedroom closet and limping, he tried to remember where the kitchen was. Last night was a muddied haze and his memories had big gaps. All that he remembered was being shown his room and the bathroom and he just rolled into bed and fell asleep.

It was the shower that reminded him of his foot. Morton hadn't done a bad job with stitching it up, but the hot water had intensified the nerves and almost made him scream in agony. But aside from that, it was a pretty nice morning. He didn't have to wake up in a crappy stiff army bed, so that was a plus.

But his thoughts went back to Bowser and Junior... the mourning period now that things had calmed down was starting to set in, and he felt his heart become a little more heavy, at least for Junior. Bowser, he wasn't feeling so generous towards. As far as he was concerned the man had it coming for a very long time especially knowing the company that he was keeping. But Junior? The kid didn't deserve that.

He tried to push the regrets out of his mind - the time was now and he had to focus on what to do next - and finally found the kitchen.

It was a lavish part of the castle that stood tall with multi-story windows overlooking the wonderful view of the backyard. It reminded him of home. Back home, sitting in the yard with Liza and Nick... he sighed and wondered if they knew about the robbery. If they thought he was in police custody. No doubt Nick had been told a lot of venomous things by his mother... he hoped that she was a bit more decent then that. But that was the mistake of falling in love; sometimes you had to risk having that love shared and being thrown back at you.

He opened the refrigerator and retrieved some orange juice (Yellow had cheerfully said that they were allowed to take whatever they wanted from the kitchen) and had poured himself a glass when Ludwig had suddenly appeared. He was standing in the hallway looking a bit ragged and tired under the eyes, but didn't tread onto the threshold until Larry had noticed him.

"Fucking..." He sighed, rolling his eyes. "How long have you been there?"

Ludwig shrugged. "Not too long. I just figured I'd take in the scenery, same as you."

"Yeah, I bet you were..." He wandered over and stood in front of the window. The rays of the morning sun shone onto him, filling his body with a nice warmth that complimented the heat from the morning shower. After spending so much time in the eternally storming dump known as Neo City, the change of location was nice.

Ludwig eventually joined him, holding a mug of tea. "... Is this what it's like for you?"

"Back home? ... Yeah, it is," He murmured. "A part of me regrets it though."

"Regrets what?"

"Leaving everyone behind... a part of me is happy that it happened, that we went through with it because... because Liza and Nick deserve so much better than me. They deserved so much more than worrying about whether I'd come home alive or not. Nick needed a father and Liza needed a husband. I don't regret that. I just regret... I regret the collateral damage. Roy... Lemmy, Iggy, Morton, Wendy... and now Junior," Larry looked into Ludwig's eyes properly for the first time since they had met. "Every day I wonder how big of a mistake it was. I blamed you and Iggy every day just to convince myself..."

"We both got what we wanted Lawrence; you got to be with your family and I got to where I wanted to be in my career. I have no regrets of being undercover in the gang," He took a sip. "It all worked out fine for us, didn't it?"

Larry shook his head. "You knew that the rest of them were on the run. You full well knew where they were, and you didn't even try to hunt them down."

"They have all their outstanding warrants. Believe me, I fought hard to keep my superiors at the time from chasing after them. Only two members when I had an extra four in my grasp? That was practically grounds for turning in my badge... but..." He didn't finish his sentence, but it was enough for Larry to get the picture.

"You actually cared about us."

Ludwig shrugged and tried to seem nonchalant. "The sense of comradery and pushing through the odds, not knowing what lay around the corner, I'll admit, it was an intoxicating time. I suppose getting to know you all personally didn't hurt either. Knowing who the criminals are and how they act, the thoughts and feelings and aspirations they have... it was hard not to feel a bit attached."

"Funny, criminals are sentient beings like every one else."

"Except criminals commit illegal acts. You're always taught to never sympathize with a criminal."

Larry chuckled. "Guess you failed that part of school, eh Chief?"

The Chief smiled. "Yes, I guess I did."

"The hell are you two talking about?"

They spun around - Roy was standing in the doorway with a look on his face, clad in a tank top and his usual sunglasses. Larry stepped away immediately, looking a bit awkward.

"Nothing."

Roy narrowed his eyes. "Yeah, that's what they always say..." He poked his head into the refrigerator as well, the silence in the kitchen overwhelming to the point of Ludwig deciding it was the perfect time to exit.

However, before he could even step back to leave, Yellow and Lemmy had entered as well.

"Good morning, early birds!" Yellow greeted. "How did we all sleep?"

Roy grunted in response, Larry rolled his neck and said it was nice, Ludwig said it was 'adequate' and Lemmy was just happy that he wasn't sleeping outside.

"Well, we'll all have breakfast, introduce you to everyone and then we can leave you guys to whatever is up."

Breakfast was cooked all by Yellow, who insisted, since they were having guests over. When Morton and Wendy had appeared and Morton had tried to help, Yellow had slapped his arm with the spatula and told him to go sit down and get himself something to drink. Food was served by the time Iggy had appeared - it was plates of eggs and bacon, nothing too fancy, but everyone was secretly thankful they weren't eating takeaway for once. The table was in silence for a few passing moments before they were interrupted.

"Yellow!" A sharp voice shocked them all. "Who is this?!"

"Ah! Red!" Yellow scurried over. "These are some guests that I took in."

Red furrowed his brow at them before turning to Yellow, looking like he was going to explode. "What?! Why didn't you consult me on this? Does anyone else know?!"

Yellow, however, was as cool as a cucumber. "Red, relax. These are Lemmy's friends. See?"

"Hey Red!" Lemmy waved. "Nice to see you!"

"Nice to see you too Lemmy..." Knowing that Yellow hadn't just invited some randoms off the street, he calmed down noticeably. "I just wish you had told me or Green or Black before they came here. I wake up and I see a helicopter outside my window... how do you imagine I feel?"

Yellow rolled his eyes and shoved a plate into his brother's hands. "You were asleep and I know if I woke you up you'd be screaming at me. This was just easier."

"Did they really come by helicopter?" A younger voice called out. Red rolled his eyes.

"Seems so, Green," He replied. "Where's Black?"

Green began to scoop some eggs onto his plate. "Dunno. He's probably still asleep," He saluted to the table with his fork and sat down next to Yellow. "Greetings, fellow friends of Lemmy. Yellow bought me up to speed with everything and while I agree with Red and wish he had told us before, I'm glad to have you over as our guests."

"We appreciate it," Morton said graciously. "Last night was a bit stressful."

"Hey, we're not dumb. We know what you folks get up to. As long as you can get it sorted and if you need our help in anything, I'm sure any one of us will be glad to help."

Yellow laughed. "Except Red."

The eldest brother grunted and chewed on a piece of bacon in silence.

"He'll come around. He just hates it when I do things without his permission, even though we're all adults here."

"We live under the same roof, for your information," Red shot back, pointing his fork accusingly at him. "So if our guests can keep things neat and tidy and quiet, that's fine with me. It's the least I can do under the circumstances."

Yellow motioned to Red. "As you can see, he's a bit neurotic."

"Well, you're a bit annoying."

Lemmy laughed at this, while everyone just watched awkwardly as the family spat happened in front of them. If Larry knew anything about siblings, it was that it was possible that this was a daily occurrence. Considering the faux pas of dropping by to someone's house unannounced at whatever time in the morning it was, Larry was surprised that they were getting off as lightly. Usually if a group of friends decided to stay at his house, he'd end up kicking them out after a few hours.

Maybe that was just him though. Looking around at everyone else, he knew that a majority of them would let them stay at their place. There was just no reason to.

"Huh, good morning Black," Red said. "About time you got up."

Black blinked at the table full of strangers, still seemingly trying to shake the sleep loose from his eyes. "Uhm..." He murmured, a deep voice compared to everyone else. "Who are these people?"

"They're Lemmy's friends!" Yellow said with a grin. Lemmy stood up on his chair again and waved to his friend, who had woken up at the sight of him.

"Hey dude!" Black exclaimed. "Long time no see! What are you doing here?"

"We... we got into a bit of trouble," Lemmy replied sheepishly. "And I asked Yellow if we could crash here, and he said it was okay."

"So it isn't a leisure visit then? That's fine Lem, we all know what you get up to. Didn't think you knew this many people from the circus though." He looked over at them, narrowing his eyes - they didn't look much like circus people. Lemmy laughed and sat back down.

"No, these are my friends from the old days. I told you about them."

Black poured himself some coffee. "Oh yeah, the robbers. Heard a lot about you guys from Lemmy here."

"So we've heard." Wendy said - she didn't mean anything bad by it, she trusted Lemmy. Still, it was pretty amusing to be casually talking about it at breakfast. Ludwig was poking his eggs silently next to Larry. He wasn't eating much... maybe there was something on his mind?

Eventually, he spoke. "We need to talk about it."

"About what? Here?" Larry asked. He was feeling very self-conscious about talking about this in front of the four brothers.

"They deserve to know. I won't be accountable for anything that happens while they're unaware... so," He put his fork down and linked his hands together, deep in thought. "Red, Black, Yellow, Green; your generosity is very much appreciated in our time of need and I believe it's necessary for us to disclose why we are here."

He tried to ignore Larry rolling his eyes - at breakfast? Ludwig, please. That was probably the thoughts rolling through his head at the moment.

"Go on..." Red said.

"We have run afoul of a cult called The Order of the Star. Have you heard of them?"

Black shook his head. "No, we haven't."

"The Order of the Star, the Sutaoda, is a cult dedicated to worshipping a deity in mythical folklore called the Dark Star. The roots of the Dark Star go way into the reign of the first Toadstools, when they were at war with the Koopas. To make a long history lesson short, the Koopas tried to harnass the power of the Dark Star to win the war. They summoned him into our dimension once, but was defeated by the Toadstools, who harnessed magical energy to lock the Dark Star away. The royal family split the Dark Star into three artifacts, scattered across the various kingdoms where no one could unleash the wicked power of the Dark Star again... that is, that's the story that goes," He paused and drank the last of his tea. "It's pervaded in our culture for quite a while the legend of the Dark Star and the artifacts and a cult dedicated to bringing back the Dark Star has been doing rounds all over the kingdoms. They believe three stones will achieve what they want and they will murder anyone to get it."

Closing his eyes and wondering if it was a good idea, Ludwig nonetheless reached into his pocket and pulled out the two artifacts. "We are in possession of the two, which has made us targets to them."

Green blinked, trying to comprehend what he had just heard. "So... why do you have them?"

"One of these was trusted to me for safekeeping and the other was robbed by... well, the group you see before you. I think at this point it would be prudent to obtain all three of them and destroy them. Personally, I don't care much for kooky cults but when they start harming others, that's where I draw the line. We've been chasing these guys for ages, but just now they're showing themselves now that the artifacts are in danger of falling into the wrong hands."

"... Lemmy, what have you dragged us into?" Red asked with a slightly annoyed face. All of it just sounded like dumb fairy tales and, if he could be honest, he wasn't exactly happy about all this on his doorstep.

Lemmy looked genuinely guilty. "I'm sorry Red, but we had no choice."

"What do you want from us then, Ludwig?" Yellow asked. "Is there anything that we can do?"

"Just be yourselves. This is our mess and we're going to focus on getting out of it," He tilted his head in thought. "So... I think our next plan of action... do any of you have a cell phone?"

Black nodded towards entrance to the kitchen. "There's a landline phone there. We don't use cell phones."

"That's fine," Ludwig stood up. "If I believe the outcome of this phone call to be true, then we need to really plan ahead."

"What are you doing?" Larry asked as he watched the Chief quickly pick up the phone and begin to dial numbers. Ludwig shot him a look back, telling him to be quiet. Keep your comments in you, it said to him. Whatever. Larry leaned back in his chair and watched as Ludwig stood by, head tilted with the corded phone to his ear.

"Ah!" He stood more attentive when the line picked up. "Yes... hello? This is Ludwig Von Koopa, Chief of the Neo City Police Department. I would like to speak to Chief Royal Knight Mario at once."

* * *

 _A/N: The obligatory sort of exposition dump chapter, but believe me, a new heist is coming up. Thanks for reading and reviewing and stay cool, everyone!_


	12. Falling

**CHAPTER 12 - Falling**

* * *

"Idiots!" Ludwig bellowed into the phone. "Have you seen the news at all?!"

The person on the other end of the line was quiet, seemingly recovering from the sudden outburst he had just experienced. When he didn't come back almost immediately to the line, Ludwig looked like one of the veins in his forehead was about to burst.

"Nice to hear from you too, Chief," Mario deadpanned finally. "It's been... what, a few years and we open like that?"

"I don't want to hear anything from you Royal Knights, considering you didn't even do your job correctly!"

"I don't understand. What didn't we do?"

Ludwig growled. "Do you remember what you promised me? You said that if there was any Order activity in the Darklands Kingdom, you will tell me! And you didn't! Useless, incompetent Royal Knights!"

"Ludwig, please," Mario sighed, his voice not trying to get caught up in his own anger. "Calm down and explain to me. What are you talking about?"

"We're pretty far away, but I'm sure you get Darklands news over there as well! The Order has finally murdered someone on our soil! Why did you not tell me that there was activity here?"

"I... what? There's been... but we've been..." The knight on the end spluttered. "I- Hold on a second... Luigi! Have you heard anything about an attack in the Darklands?"

Luigi's voice came up in the background. "No I haven't, Mario."

"Well look into the news. When did it happen, Ludwig?"

"Last night."

Mario didn't sound too convinced. "Surely the news doesn't work that quickly..."

"If you're going to be funny about this, then I will hang up immediately," Ludwig felt his patience just about ready to snap like an overstressed rubber band. "I don't think you grasp the seriousness of the situation or your incompetence at doing your job! You promised me that night that you would let me know if they were here. They've been here for quite a while, I realise, but I didn't think they could pull off a murder! A murder of a political figure here, nonetheless!"

If the Royal Knights were not careful from now on, the murder could be seen as an attack from the Mushroom Kingdom, considering that no known attacks of political figures over there had ever been reported. The kingdoms did not need any more tension between them and an excuse to attempt to break away.

Mario was thinking the same thing, because he was sounding a lot more serious. "Okay. Do you have the artifact we gave you still?"

"Right here with me."

"Good... it isn't that we don't trust you Mr. Ludwig, but we will have to ask for the return of the artifact."

Ludwig huffed. "That's it then? You're going to take it from me and not do anything about this? Your kingdom is responsible for the safety and well-being of ours!"

"We would need to convene the council and decide on a course of action. In the meantime, we would like to-"

"You do not understand! My life is at risk, I am being hunted down! If I hand over the artifact to you, they will kill you and me. We need to destroy these to stop this madness!"

Everyone who had been listening in on the table all held their breath and looked at each other - anticipation was in the air.

"Mr. Ludwig, I cannot allow you to destroy what is priceless artifacts. You know how valuable they are and if you destroy them, then that is treason of the highest order," Mario explained. "So, in the name of the Mushroom Kingdom and Princess Toadstool, you will hand over the artifact to us. If you do not comply, Mr. Ludwig, then we will come down to Neo City and place you under arrest."

"Out of the question, Mario. I will not hand over the artifact to you. It is just too dangerous."

"Then you will be branded a traitor of the Mushroom Kingdom, Ludwig Von Koopa. This is your last chance; please hand over the artifact to us and nothing of consequence will come to you. If you do not, we will hunt you down."

Ludwig sighed, before shaking his head and putting on a fierce expression. "... then hunt me down. I have two of the artifacts and I will have the third one. I will not let you stand idly by while a bunch of cultists destroy the kingdom I grew up in. If you're not going to tell me where the third one is, then stay out of my way."

"Mr. Ludwig, I-"

And the Chief put the phone back on the hook - his heart pounding a million miles a minute at the anger that had accumulated in his chest, he simply turned and looked at the rest of the group, all staring at him with wide-eyes and slack jaws. They couldn't believe what they had just witnessed out of him.

In response, he just shrugged. "... Sorry about that." He said, picking up his cup and pouring himself another round of tea.

* * *

 _LOCATION: Neo City Police Department, Neo City, Darklands Kingdom_

 _TIME: 9:30AM_

" _Am I speaking to Tanaka-san?_ "

An elderly voice spoke softly. " _Yes, this is he._ "

Henry smiled and nodded to Junior, who returned the gesture - while he could understand the conversation, Junior was no good at speaking it himself. Flunking his native language classes was suddenly becoming a shame for him. He was thankful at least that Dad spoke it at home.

" _Tanaka-san, my name is Nishimura Henrii and I am a detective for the Neo City Police Department. I would like to ask you a few questions regarding your son._ "

" _... My son is dead to me, Nishimura-san. I have not seen or heard from him for decades and he brings disgrace to the family name. I have had police over the years questioning me and I have nothing left to say on the matter. What I can tell you is what I've told to everyone else. I would advise asking your superiors on the matter. Thank you._ "

Henry was quick on the draw however. " _No, I have a witness here who says they saw your son last year._ "

" _... They have?_ " Just for a moment, the old man sounded hopeful. " _Where is he? I have to know._ "

The detective looked up at Junior, silently asking for his permission to recount the events. Junior nodded, hearing the tone of the man's voice on the other side... it gave him a feeling. He couldn't describe it. " _He was last spotted in the Darklands Kingdom, using the alias 'Ito Niiko' and corresponding with a politician._ "

" _... No. No, no, that does not sound like my son. My son would never do that._ "

" _Does your son have heterochromatic eyes, Tanaka-san? Blue and brown?_ "

" _... Yes, yes he does. That's him... that is my Kurisutofaa. I can't believe... when he disappeared, I thought he was dead. If only I could have told his mother, rest her soul, then she wouldn't have died of a broken heart._ "

Henry dipped his head in respect. " _I am sorry for your loss, Tanaka-san. If you're willing to answer some questions about your son, we can leave you be to mourn in peace._ "

"I _suppose if he is alive and has a chance of coming home... yes, I will answer your questions, Nishimura-san,_ " The old man was somber, but seemed to be a bit more resolute now. " _What would you like to know?_ "

" _What was your son like before he disappeared?_ " The detective asked, pulling out a pen and notepad.

Tanaka chuckled. " _He was the brightest boy you ever knew. Did well in school, had a lot of friends, always made us proud for what he was and what he did. But... but when he turned 17, that was when things changed. It wasn't sudden, it was gradual. He still did well in school, but something was different about him. Something odd. He was acting out a lot more, being more violent, having his nose deep into... into things that one man should not have to be able to say. When he ran away and robbed that store, we knew it was all over. He didn't even finish school. He just left and that was the last we ever heard from him._ "

" _Tanaka-san, are you aware of the various crimes your son has committed over the past few years? I have a list of burglary, arson and assault warrants for him and it's very likely that he has joined the Sutaoda._ "

" _... No. No, I was not aware of that. Has he really joined that cult?_ "

" _The witness that talked to me said that he visited his house wearing the same robes that the Sutaoda use and a homicide case here has found another member wearing the same robes. We are sure to make the connection._ "

" _... I am very sorry for my son's actions, Nishimura-san._ "

" _It's okay. It's not your fault. We were hoping to shed some light on the case, as he is our only lead at the moment. Even then, Tanaka-san, we can't prove that it was your son who was part of the homicide case but we can confirm that he was alive at least one year ago._ "

" _All I want is my son back. He needs to know what he's left behind, how much I miss him... even if he has bought disgrace to the family, he is still my son and I love him dearly._ "

Henry gave a small sigh and... was that tears in his eyes? Junior blinked and tried to look closer, but Henry had quickly wiped away any evidence. " _I understand what you mean. But you do know that if we find him, he will be prosecuted on all of the outstanding warrants he has._ "

" _I realise that. I just want him to not hurt any more people._ "

" _We will try our best. I promise._ "

" _Thank you, Nishimura-san,_ " Tanaka sniffled for a second before speaking again. " _Can you please tell the witness that I thank him dearly?_ "

" _He's right here with me,_ " Henry replied, waving Junior over. " _Would you like to speak with him?_ "

" _Yes, I do._ "

"Henry..." Junior said nervously, but he stared at the phone and tried to will back the memories of what he had learned as a young child. The detective had rolled back in his chair and opened the space for him to step in - he was confident of Junior's ability. " _T-Tanaka-san?_ "

" _Yes?_ "

" _My name... my name is Bowser Koopa II..._ "

Tanaka took a deep breath and seemed to attempt to steady his nerves. " _Koopa-san... thank you. Thank you for letting me know that my son is okay. It isn't much, but it's given me a bit more hope._ "

The young man nodded at this and felt his heart feel a bit more lighter. This man was the father of the person who could have killed his own father and... he was feeling this way? Was this how Bowser felt before he died? Did he really die thinking about his son? With everything that had been going on, he wasn't so sure. He had his arms folded and eyes closed deep in thought when Henry took over.

" _The witness is very grateful to bring the news to you,_ " He looked over at him. " _He apologizes that he cannot speak further._ "

Tanaka chuckled warmly. " _That is fine. I can tell from his accent that he was born and raised there. I don't fault him. Is that all you wish to know, Nishimura-san?_ "

" _Yes. This has been plenty helpful to us. Thank you for your time, Tanaka-san._ "

" _You are welcome, Nishimura-san. May the stars guide you._ "

" _You too. Goodbye._ "

As soon as he put the phone down, Henry began to flick through the notes he had scrawled on his notepad, humming to himself deep in thought. Deep in his mind he struggled to put the pieces together on what the conversation had entailed. The Sutaoda were organized indeed, and even the lead they were having on it was starting to go cold. The father had given a lot of good information, sure, but it only gave a psychological profile of someone who couldn't even be connected to the crime scene through hard evidence.

As he tapped his pen on his desk, the door suddenly burst open.

"Henry! You have to come to the conference room, now!"

The detective stood up. "What's going on, Lucas?" He looked very concerned and scared, which prompted Junior's interest as well.

"It's about the Chief. You're... you're not going to believe this."

"Believe what?" Henry was in the process of putting his jacket on as they blazed their way through the offices. "Lucas, what's going on?"

Lucas spun around and looked at them with wide eyes. "Chief Ludwig! He's... you're not going to believe it if I tell you, I swear. You have to see this right now!"

"Okay! Show us then."

The detective seemed to glower at not being told what was going on and being dragged away from his office, but his curosity had been peaked nonetheless. Following his partner and making sure Junior was nearby, the three made their way downstairs to the conference room - it was a small theatre for media gatherings but it was also used as an assembly room for the entire station.

True to the situation, the theatre was full of officers, detectives and high ranking officials crammed into seats all over. Up on stage was Deputy Chief Shiramune - she was short, but looked like she was serious and never one to joke around.

"Thank you all for being here," She started. "I'm sure what the news has told us has made us skeptical of what was said of our fair Chief... but it is with a heavy heart that I announce that Ludwig Von Koopa has been stripped of his title as Police Chief and branded a traitor of the Mushroom and Darklands Kingdom..."

A flurry of gasps and surprised voices suddenly sprang from the crowd. Shiramune shook her head, seemingly unable to comprehend it as well.

"... He has stolen two very important artifacts and the Royal Knights have ordered a kingdom wide manhunt to apprehend him for treason and theft. I have been elevated to the mantle of Police Chief and the Royal Knights will be deployed here and will work with the Neo City Police Department to track down and arrest Mr. Von Koopa."

At the declaration of this, anger quickly replaced shock and surprise. "No!" A detective spoke from the front row. "We cannot have the Royal Knights here!"

The now-Chief closed her eyes. "It is out of my hands unfortunately. As much as I would not like to have the Knights interfering in our work, it has been ruled by Princess Toadstool that we join our efforts together. What I ask of you all now is to keep yourselves and your mind open to this and to be vigilant. I will be in correspondence with the Mushroom Kingdom on what will happen. Thank you."

The crowd began to shout out questions for the Chief, but she had exited stage-right in an instant. Scowling, Lucas turned to Henry as they left the theatre.

"Are you kidding me?!" He exclaimed. "They're really going to do that to Chief Ludwig?!"

Henry shook his head - he was a lot more neutral. "It seems so. I mean..." He thought back to last night - he remembered hearing the call to action. The Chief leaving the police station suddenly, being told to stay away from the docks... "There has to be more to it then what is being said to us."

"I can't believe this. They don't care about anything that happens here but now they care about us because something of theirs is missing?! Please! The nerve of those fungals!"

"Lucas, I understand your anger, but please, if you're interested in keeping your job then I would calm down on the slurs," The detective looked over to Junior. "It seems that the Royal Knights might even give us an opportunity to open up more avenues for investigation. We need to think on the bright side of everything here... but still, I have my biases. I don't think the Chief is a traitor."

"Me neither," Lucas affirmed. "He's smart and knows what he is doing."

"Lucas!" Someone called out from behind them - a regular blue clothes officer walked up to them. "You're needed in the interrogation room."

Clapping him on the shoulder, Henry smiled at him. "Our work is never done. I'll see you later."

"Yeah, you too." He looked over to Junior and gave a short nod before heading off downstairs to the interrogation rooms. Henry noticed his somewhat confused expression, because he laughed as they began to walk back to his office. "That's Lucas, my work partner."

"Right." Junior replied.

"Listen, I don't know about you, but I'm sure I've been here for more than 24 hours. I need to go home. Do you want to come to my place?"

The nineteen year old blushed, very inappropriately too, he realised. "Uh... what?"

"Since you're under my care, I figure you can stay with me until you're free to go back home. Normally I don't think they'd let us do this, but things are a bit upside down at the moment," He looked at him, seemingly unaware of Junior's reaction. "So you can stay here in my office or you can bunk with me."

All that Junior could wonder (once he got past his initial shock) was whether he'd be intruding. Of course, it would be nice to sleep in a proper bed for once... or at least be somewhere that resembled a normal home for the time being. "I guess..." Was all he replied to, but that was good enough for the detective.

"That's fine," He said as he locked the door to his office securely. "You can have my bed and I'll have the couch."

"I can take the couch..."

Henry shook his head. "No, I insist. You're the guest and, besides, I've slept in plenty worse spots than my couch."

"Okay. Thanks, Henry."

"No need to," He smiled. "Just doing my job."

* * *

Lucas Novak tried to steady his pace as he made his way towards the interrogation rooms; damn it, he had some important work to do and now he was dragged away for this? If his superiors were going to give him hell for not getting things done, then he would be lodging a complaint ASAP. As much as he liked Henry, he was way too by-the-book and straight. Always willing to compromise and work around... still, he couldn't say he didn't respect him. He was diligent and hardworking.

An officer standing outside one of the rooms lead him into the observation side, where several of his superiors were waiting.

"... Why are we interrogating one of us?" He asked, dumbly looking at another blue clothes officer sitting nervously in the room.

"He was last seen with the ex-Chief," His supervisor said. "Just get in there and get a few answers out of him."

Lucas looked skeptical. "Did we really need to put him in here though?"

"Hey, I didn't ask for him to sweat it out and be interrogated by one of our own. Just do your job, Lucas."

He tried to suppress a sigh.

Mission failed on that one.

The officer didn't move when Lucas entered the room and sat down in front of him. It was only when he spoke that he made eye contact with him.

"Officer Aiba," Lucas began, linking his fingers together. "You were last seen with the Chief, correct?"

Aiba nodded silently - despite being a blue clothes officer, it wasn't exactly a secret that Aiba was unofficially the Chief's right hand man within the department. No one knew how he got to such a point; maybe they were friends or it was a secret relationship? Water cooler talk aside, Lucas tried to gauge the officer's emotional state. While he looked like he was guilty of something, a little voice that sounded suspiciously like Henry told him that it wasn't much to go on.

"Can you please recall the events of last night in much detail as possible?"

He spoke. "I... the two suspects from the Bank & Trust robbery last night were placed into this interrogation room under my supervision until the Chief arrived. I was ordered not to interact with the suspects, only to cuff them to the table. I stood outside for maybe... ten or fifteen minutes before the Chief arrived. He called me in five minutes later to attend to one of the suspects wounds."

"Which suspect, and what wound was it?"

"Lawrence Koopa, I believe, and it was a gunshot wound through his left foot."

Lucas looked confused. "The suspect was not given medical treatment before examination?" He looked over to the one-way mirror briefly.

"No, he was not. The Chief ordered them to be put into the interrogation room," Aiba explained. "I attended to his wound, replacing the bandage that I presume one of the officers on the scene of the arrest gave to him and was ordered to wash my hands and keep an eye on the door. I think about another ten minutes passed before he suddenly said that he was 'compromised' and that they had to leave."

"The Chief took two robbery suspects and left the station?"

"That is what I understand happened last night."

The detective tapped his claws on the table as his mind ticked. "From what I understand, the Chief initiated a convoy protocol. That is only when we feel that a VIP is threatened and needs to leave immediately. Are we to believe that the Chief was in danger?" If he was in danger, Lucas would have no trouble believing that... but there was also the question of 'why'.

"He believed he was in danger."

"So why did he take the two suspects?"

Aiba shook his head. "I do not know. He did not disclose that reason to me. However, I heard over the radio where he was going."

"Really? Where was that?"

"The Industrial District."

"Son of a bitch," Lucas said, eyes-wide. "Does that mean he-...?"

The officer tilted his head in confusion. "Detective?"

"Sorry, Aiba," He could imagine the others on the other side suddenly getting interested at the revelation - He was called to an arson and potential homicide case in the Industrial District... someone or something had burned down an abandoned warehouse down at the docks, and the time that the call was made corresponded with about an hour after the Chief left. Did he really take two well known criminals and set an abandoned building on fire? What was going on? "It's just that this information has shed some new light... thank you for your time."

As he left the room, his supervisor joined him. "Holy shit Lucas..."

"Holy shit is right," Lucas replied. "The Chief couldn't do that, he didn't just run off and do that..."

"The evidence lines up; times are right, no alibi to speak of... he's not really giving us a good case to defend him."

"Well, what are we going to do then?"

"I'll take this to Shiramune and get her to deliberate on a decision. Although, if I can hazard a guess, we'll be keeping this little bit of information under wraps. We don't need any more of an excuse for the Royal Knights to tear the city apart looking for him as is," Before he could leave, Lucas felt a tap on his shoulder. "Hey, Lucas, do me a favor, would you?"

"Yes, sir?"

"Keep an eye on Nishimura and Bowser's kid. There's something fishy about him... I don't know. I think there's something more going on here then we're being let on."

Lucas nodded. "Yeah... don't worry sir, I'll keep an eye on things."

* * *

 _LOCATION: Rocky Pass Apartments, Neo City, Darklands Kingdom_

 _TIME: 11:08AM_

The twisting maze of corridors seemed to go on forever - how did Henry live in such a place like this? The wallpaper was beige (and he knew for a fact that it wasn't like that when it was first painted) and it smelt distinctly of cigarette smoke and floor polish. Just the bare amount of effort had been made to keep the complex clean. If a cleaner had done that in his house, he knew that his father would have fired them. Still, the detective was nice enough to let him in and it was a damn sight better than the police station.

"Home sweet home," Henry said wistfully, biting down on his straw. "Make yourself at home."

It was a small apartment - Henry seemed to prefer function over style, it seemed. A hallway greeted them with two doors on either side, with the end opening up to the living room and kitchen. Everything was brown, brown and browner. At least he didn't smoke, so the smell of cheap cigarettes thankfully never entered the vicinity.

"How old is this building?" Junior asked as Henry flicked on an old styled light switch and laughed.

"Oh, this thing has been around even before my parents were born I think. It's not much, but it's home," He put down the bags of food that they had bought along the way. Junior learned that Henry was not the most experienced chef and seemed to prefer getting takeaway whenever he was having a particularly long shift. This was no exception. "Home is where you make it and all those inspirational quotes."

Junior wasn't scared to admit he was a bit out of his depth, being so confined in a small space. How did people live like this?

"I haven't got much - got some TV or reading, feel free to take whatever you want out of the kitchen and don't feel afraid to ask me if you need anything."

"Got it."

A thunderstorm was brewing over the city. They could see it out from the window.

"Tell you what, it doesn't get more noire than a rainy city."

"Yeah."

Henry began to eat his food. "I used to love reading those old novels and watching noire movies. I think that was what got me into police work in the first place. If you don't mind me asking Bowser, what have you always wanted to do?"

"Honestly...? I don't know. I kinda just went through high school and not knowing what. Dad... I guess Dad wanted me to be a politician, same as him..."

The detective seemed a bit hesitant to broach onto the topic of parents all of a sudden, probably out of respect. "Isn't that what parents are for?" He tried to joke weakly, as if he was fighting against his own social barriers. "Always hoping that you'll pick up the trade with them...?"

Junior noticed the change, but didn't approach it - perhaps it showed though at how much he didn't take offense to the joke. "Yeah."

The air got immediately awkward between them, and the two ate their food in silence. With nothing much said and the bags under Henry's eyes beginning to show, he was quick to jump up and declare that he needed to nap. The sound of getting some sleep appealed to the nineteen year old, as he began to feel the takeaway settle in his stomach and the sleepiness take over. After a quick freshening up in the bathroom, Junior walked out between the corridor, peeking around to see Henry sprawled out on the couch fast asleep and under a light quilt.

A small, legitimate smile tugged at Junior's face at the sight of the normally straight and narrow detective sleeping, but he quickly slapped himself mentally for how inappropriate it was. It was almost like he had forgotten all about last night... but there was something that was bothering him.

Was Dad really alive?

Settling down in Henry's bed, Junior stared at the ceiling and listened to the rain patter down onto the walls outside. There was that doubt that was making him not want to mourn... not yet. It wasn't confirmed.

Keep telling yourself that, the realistic voice in his head told him.

Scowling at his own thoughts, he turned onto his side and closed his eyes, hoping he could will himself to sleep. It wasn't too long before he did.

* * *

 _LOCATION: The Koopa Bros Fortress, Acorn Hills, Darklands Kingdom_

 _TIME: 11:30AM_

"You're one of us now, truly!"

"Oh, shut up."

Iggy laughed manically as everyone tried to process the news that they had just witnessed. It was surreal having Green burst in with a pale face and direct them towards the TV, where the breaking news was going down. Ludwig could only grimace at this and admit that this was what he was afraid of. It looked like he had been officially ousted now. Roy turned off the TV and turned towards the group.

"Well, what are we going to do now?" He counted on his fingers. "We got no hideout, no weapons, we're down a man, we've got a crazy cult and now two kingdoms hunting us down!"

The ex-Chief was standing nearby, head tilted and eyes closed deep in thought. There was no time to panic or anything of that matter - he lost his power and his connections, but that didn't mean all was lost. After all, he had this group of talented individuals in front of him. But what could he use them for? As with everything, the next plan of action was to come at a high risk with little payoff, if any.

"I have an idea," He said - everyone stopped talking and looked at him expectantly. "It is, I'll admit, a very dumb idea that has a high risk of failure."

Lemmy's head poked up from behind the couch. "What did you say to me last night, Ludwig? We'll take anything, so throw us it."

Ludwig appreciated that. "With Lawrence's approval, of course - it involves a bit of treachery on our part and it will be risky, but I believe I know a way as to find the last artifact; the Royal Knight headquarters store information on the artifacts and their coordinated destinations, if I'm hypothesizing correctly, and the Toad City Police Department shares a network line with them. Now, breaking into the Royal Knight HQ is out of the question right from the outset - the place is heavily secured and not many people are allowed in, however, I know for a fact that the TCPD outsources their technicians..."

"So what you're saying is," Larry said. "That we disguise ourselves as IT technicians and break into their servers?"

"Yes. It is a proposal though."

Iggy nodded. "A solid one, if I can be honest - I wouldn't mess with police networks remotely because of the security they put up. However, if I could get inside and hook up in there I could do some mischief..." He giggled at the thought of getting access to a secure police database, at least as an administrator and not nosing around from the outside with limited access.

Larry didn't seem ready to jump up at the idea just yet. "I can think of a few problems though; one; you, Lemmy and I cannot go anywhere near a police station because all three of us are known by the police now. Two, we don't have any appropriate equipment because we burnt everything we had down last night and sourcing outfits and a schedule to come in will be tough and three, I'm pretty sure technicians don't come in by helicopter. So if we're going in with this, we need to gather some things and... honestly? I think we could have a few days, tops, before we need to leave."

"Do you have a better idea though?" Roy asked. "I think it's a good as plan as any, given the stakes now. As much as I hate to agree with him," He jerked his head towards Ludwig. "It's our best option."

Everyone nodded in agreement, but ultimately the decision had to come down to Larry. Closing his eyes and thinking now, he tried to weigh the pros and cons of such an undertaking. Even then, if they couldn't get the information they wanted they would be stuck in a dangerous spot. But he could see where they were coming from - doing nothing was probably the worst outcome.

"Iggy?" He asked. "You only have that hard drive, right?"

Iggy nodded and pulled out it to show. "Yep."

"Would the Koopa Bros have one of those portable computers? Like, a laptop or something?"

"I can ask them." Lemmy offered.

"Yeah. Just anything that can help Iggy do his work."

"Lawrence, I told you before, I can't do anything remotely though... unless you want me to go local?" He blinked at this - usually, Iggy was the one to stay behind.

Larry looked nonchalant about it. "You look like an egghead, they'll let you in just fine. Besides, you know the most about that hacker shit. Morton can go along with you for good measure."

"Why me?" Morton asked.

"Because you're the smartest next to Iggy and you'll be able to assist him. Anyone else would just stick out, no offense Roy and Wendy... I think it's our only good shot."

"Fret not," Iggy declared as Lemmy fell to his side. "I'll take care of everything. I have a few contacts still in the city underground, so I'll see what I can arrange. You guys just plan out the actual course of action and I think we'll be golden."

The rest of the gang sat in the living room, unsure of what to do next. Ludwig and Larry had just sort of thrown out the plan and listed the pros and cons. Shrugging, Larry stood up and leaned on the couch. "Let's borrow some pen and paper and sit down together and figure this out. It's a long shot, but we can do this."

"Just like old times..." Roy smirked. "Except hopefully this doesn't go as bad as last time."

* * *

 _A/N: Nothing much to say here, character development, new events, blah blah blah, I'm not sure how much I'll get around to writing because of recent life events - that's why this chapter is also a bit short as well. But nonetheless, thank you for reading and stay beautiful, lovelies._


	13. Boiling Point

_A/N: Thanks for bearing out on me with the delays, I've started employment so I haven't had much time to sit down and write. But anyway, I hope you all enjoy this one!_

 **CHAPTER 13 - Boiling Point**

* * *

 _LOCATION: Neo City Police Department, Neo City, Darklands Kingdom_

 _TIME: 7:01AM_

Even before they entered the building, Junior could feel something different in the air. The usually imposing police station that drew closer to them didn't make him feel sad, like it used to. Now... now, he was feeling something else. Something he hadn't felt since the night of the heist.

Fear and anxiety.

Henry sensed it too; nothing got past the detective. Usually he would probe him or try to get him to open up, to help him, to support him through the grief that he was experiencing... but today was different. This involved him directly. Driving into the building, parking in the same spot, walking to his office... but it was different. It was so different that he genuinely thought he couldn't work. It wasn't like he had any prejudices (or if he had, it didn't get in the way of his work), but for the first time in his life, Henry was starting to feel the pressure.

A Toad, clad in impressive silver armor, stood at the entrance when they stepped off the lift. It was an obvious confirmation to a long-dreaded arrival - the Royal Knights were here in Neo City, and they were here to stay.

"Hold it," He said, stopping the two before they went through the checkpoint. "Need to look you two over."

"For what?" Henry questioned irritably - he always go through the front desk with no problems.

"Just routine check, sir. Princess Toadstool's orders."

The detective grumbled as he surrendered his bag to be messed around and pored over and having every pocket in his jacket checked. He was a long serving detective in the force, why would he have anything to hide? Junior, seemingly ignorant or just rolling with whatever life was throwing at him, simply held his arms out and let himself be frisked by another guard.

"You have ID on you, sir?"

Apparently they didn't see the detective badge hanging around his neck. He held it out gingerly.

"And may I ask why you have a civilian with you?" The guard asked.

Henry suppressed a sigh. "He was assigned to me on a homicide case as his handler. We believe his life is in danger."

"Who authorized this?"

He wanted to answer that it came from him, with the protocol 'none-of-your-damn-business' added on for emphasis. "Chief Shiramune."

"We will need to check on that, please hold." He turned around, holding a walkie-talkie.

You got to be kidding me... he looked over to Junior, who was standing by awkwardly and watching all of this unfold. He was privy to Henry's routine of coming into the station by now so this was just as a shock to him as it was to the detective. He didn't go through police academy to be bossed around by some screechy colonialists... no, he had to focus. It was so hard to throw away that line of thinking... but Henry had to if he wanted to continue his work in earnest.

A beeping bought them to attention - the security gates leading to their office opened. "You may go through."

Considering it's my office, Henry thought.

Inside it wasn't much better. While the daily grind of police work kept cycling as normal, there was a lot of Knights around. They didn't seem to be doing much except standing there and watching as the actual people did their work. This was what constituted collaboration, it seemed.

"I apologize for my behaviour, Bowser," They walked into his office. "I'm sure you're well aware of the tensions that go on between us... I guess I picked up old habits. I don't really hate the Royal Knights... but the way they conduct themselves around us... it can be patronizing, in a way."

Junior answered. "It's fine. I guess I never really thought about it. Are they really not going to leave until they find Chief Ludwig?"

"It seems so. It's the first time a Chief of the police here has been branded with treason. Of course, not all of us believe it but you didn't hear it from me." He smiled knowingly. "I hold so much reverence for Chief Ludwig. I suppose you were... nine or ten when it happened, but he managed to do something that no one could ever do before. I remember seeing it on the news."

"What did he do?"

"He took down a crime syndicate all by himself. He was undercover in a notorious gang known for committing robberies on all the kingdoms. No one could touch them because they were so good at what they did, no one knew how to approach them close enough to pin anything on them. But somehow... Ludwig did it. He managed to get in and fed information to the police until they felt confident enough to pull a sting operation. Even then, he only got two of them."

He swallowed. "What... what was the gang's name?"

"The Koopaling Gang," Henry folded his arms and looked thoughtful, not noticing Junior's suddenly pale face. "We're still trying to puzzle why he disappeared suddenly with two suspects and two valuable items that belong to the Mushroom Kingdom."

"Are... were they friends? Ludwig and the two who got arrested?"

"I doubt it. Chief Ludwig has always been pragmatic. If he does something, it's for a very good reason. That was why he..." The detective trailed off as he looked outside the windows of his office - Lucas and an older Toad with a greying mustache was coming straight for them.

"Good morning Detectives," He said as they burst through the door, Lucas looking flustered. "I trust we're all in good spirits today?"

Henry blinked. "I... I guess, sir. And you are?"

"He's our ... our partner," Lucas said with a sour tone. "He's been assigned to us on the homicide cases."

"That's right! My name is Sir Toadogan, an Investigator of the Royal Knights! I have become acquainted with your partner, Mr. Novak, here."

Only out of obligation (and sheer confusion), Henry shook his hand. "Henry Nishimura."

"Mr. Nishimura! What a wonderful name! Where are you from, if you don't mind me asking?"

The detective looked uncomfortable. "Uhhh... I grew up in Donatsu Plains." He wasn't sure whether to be offended or not. "My family has lived in the Darklands for several generations."

Toadogan held his head up high. "Of course! I do not doubt it. Your accent is very indicative of living here. However Mr. Novak here is very accented, don't you think?"

Not really, Junior scrunched his nose. Was this old man for real? He had a mini heart attack when the Toad spun around on the spot and looked straight into his soul with his beady little enthusiastic eyes, looking like he was about to pounce.

"And you, young man! What is your name?"

He struggled to find his words. "B-Bowser Koopa II."

"Bowser... a very powerful name, don't you think? It commands an authority that few names are able to match. What do you do here in the police station, young Bowser?"

"I... I drink the coffee and bum around in Henry's office."

Henry tried to hide his grin. "N-no. Bowser's just a civilian. He is part of the homicide case that happened last Tuesday and is under my care for the time being."

"I see. Well, either way gentlemen, it is a pleasure to meet you all! Let's get down to the business, shall we?" The stout man sat promptly on the couch and looked over at them. His gaze was an uncomfortably expectant one. Henry sat down at his desk and began to type with one hand and drink his coffee with the other.

"No disrespect Investigator, but you won't see much action around here." He focused on the screen. "We don't get out much."

"That's fine. I'm just here to assist if need be."

Lucas rolled his eyes at this. "Well Henry, if you need me I'll be back at my office." Better Henry than himself.

"Actually, Investigator, you can help me out with something."

"At your service, Henry," Toadogan bowed and jumped up from the couch as Junior replaced him and began to leaf through a book that he had taken from one of the shelves. "What do you need assistance with?"

Tapping away into his database, Henry pulled up a picture. "You recognise this person?" He asked him. Toadogan's mustache twitched.

"Yes, I recognise him. Tanaka, Ito... whatever you call him. A scoundrel among many," His normally cheery and jovial voice had gone down to a low baritone. "He has made our lives miserable over in the Mushroom Kingdom. Is he really here too?"

Henry nodded. "He was spotted here not too long ago. It seems like he's had ties to the local politicians."

"That makes sense," Toadogan pulled up a chair. "He has always had that charm about him."

"He's fucking creepy." Junior piped up from the back.

"You've met him too, young Bowser?"

"Yeah."

Henry patted Toadogan on the shoulder, to divert him away from any sudden interrogations. The kid didn't need it. "Don't worry," He assured his counterpart. "He's not complicit. He had no idea who the cult were until just recently, so he's a ruled out suspect."

"I see..."

The two detectives talked among themselves (well, Toadogan commenting every so often between Henry's bouts of silence) as Junior flipped through the pages of his novel. It was something that he thought in a million years that he would ever think about reading past the first few pages... but the world that was in the writing had drawn him into it. A little escape, a little privacy, a little comfort in knowing that there were so many worlds out there still functioning, even if they were fictional.

He just sat there and wiled away the hours reading, looking up at Henry, thinking about everything; the gang, his father, his feelings towards everything and anything. Was death really around the corner? Was all this protection from a crazy cult really necessary? They hadn't done anything to them. There hadn't been any attacks. So everything was good.

Right?

He struggled to even breathe out that last sentence. Suddenly, the book felt heavy in his hands.

No... it was stupid to think that.

* * *

 _LOCATION: Toad City Police Department, Toad City, Mushroom Kingdom_

 _TIME: 1:39PM_

If there were ever an inappropriate time to gaze at the buildings around them, this was it - but still, it was hard not to admire the contemporary modern designs of Toad City and how clean it was. Morton found himself scrutinizing the layout and architecture of the skyscrapers flashing by in great detail, wondering how all the in's and out's worked. Maybe after all of this was over he'd finally be able to work in such lofty establishments and become a part of it. That was the dream, at least for him.

The van rumbled down with little fanfare, a plain civilian vehicle borrowed from the Koopa Bros, as it neared towards the police station. The epicenter of what they were looking for, if they could get to what they were hoping to get. It had been emphasized countless times that this was such a big risk, but the alternative was so much worse. They had to do this. The time was right.

Turning around in the passenger seat, Morton looked over where Iggy was sitting in the back. He was checking his bag constantly and making sure that everything was in there - the laptop that his source had gotten him was there, the hard drive full of his files and tools was there, he was pretty sure they were wearing the correct uniforms as well. It was obvious that Iggy had never done a heist himself his entire time, always sitting on the computer back at base and monitoring everything remotely. If there was a time where he was truly vulnerable, this was it.

"Hey, don't worry about it," Morton reassured him. "I'm with you, we got this. Just follow my lead and most importantly, be natural. We're actually there to do some work on their servers."

Back at the fortress, everyone else was sitting around the computer and listening in. There wasn't much they could do except instruct them on what to do if they weren't sure, being pressed for time and unable to acquire any more equipment. Lemmy was at the helm of the computer, Iggy having given him a quick crash course in how to operate it (he figured that because he had used electronic things before, it would be easy. Lemmy argued that he just used ignition systems, which was the bare minimum of computing expertise).

"Yeah, it's psychological," Roy said. "Just be a good liar and actually believe your lies."

"Not helping, everyone..."

Wendy shook Morton on the shoulder. "We're here, guys."

They pulled up to the front of the station - a large modern building with sleek, roof-to-floor windows and clad in white brick. It was a very welcoming building as well as also intimidating to some degree. Maybe it was intimidating to them because failing means they'd all be dead. It was a big risk even to come out here. Although the last few days had been unceremonious, just the feeling of having a bullet to the head around the corner was enough to make everyone on edge.

The two of them jumped out of the van when they stopped in the parking lot, Morton rounding to the back to let Iggy out as well. The two of them were clad in their uniforms - generic jumpsuits used by technicians who were outsourced to various buildings - and carrying their bags full of gear. To the untrained eye, it was a simple duffel bag of tools used to perform hardware maintenance. In Morton's case, it was. Iggy was a completely different story and hopefully one that no one would catch.

"Thanks for the ride Wen. We'll be out in a bit." Morton said, both genuinely and putting on a little act for the outsiders around them. Wendy nodded and locked the van.

"I'll be down the road and getting some coffee. If you need me, just let me know."

Larry's voice buzzed in her ear. "Don't stray too far." He warned.

"Won't they notice the earpiece?" Iggy asked as they proceeded to walking through the front door. Morton replied with a 'pfft' sound.

"I doubt it. No one really notices much - this will be just a normal day for everyone."

And hopefully it would be that way this time.

They stopped at the reception desk, where a very tired looking officer was sitting at and idly tapping away at his keyboard like a tired rooster. He gave a double-take at the sight of the two towering above him before calming down when he noticed their green uniforms.

"Maintenance, huh? Alright. Submit your bags for scanning and we'll let you through to the stairwell."

A stray sweat drop appeared on Iggy's face. Were they going to look through his bag?

His first instinct was to immediately book it and pull out while they were still able to, but Morton had already wandered over to the security checkpoint and put his bag up. He tried to mentally calm himself and hope that they wouldn't pull him out for anything. The last thing he wanted was to be grilled by some cops.

Following suit with shaking hands, he placed the bag behind Morton's and followed him through the detector. It buzzed green for both of them, which made him sigh in relief. But when the officer opened up his bag and started to ruffle through it, that was when his blood turned cold. A side glance over to Morton (who had retrieved his bag and had it slung over his shoulder) was also staring wide-eyed at him pulling out the laptop and tools before holding up the external hard drive.

"Can I ask what this is?"

Morton jumped in immediately. "Diagnostic tools, sir. Our company gives us programs to help automate processes such as..." He paused, his confidence evaporating instantly. "Virus... things. I don't know, I'm the hardware guy."

When the officer looked over to Iggy, he was nodding his head like it was a nervous tic. Shrugging, he put everything back in and zipped up the bag.

"Eh, okay. Don't know what you computer eggheads use, but it works, so I ain't complaining," He pointed over to a lone door at the end of the room. "Stairwell's over there. Server is housed on the fourth floor."

At least it wasn't a skyscraper like last time. Morton nodded as Iggy slung the bag over his shoulder.

"Thanks."

As soon as the stairwell door shut behind him, a sigh of relief came from Iggy.

"I thought we were done for."

Morton smiled and slowed his pace to allow him to climb. "I told you man; people don't care. It's just another day. I'm not going to lie though, I thought you were going to lose it."

A chuckle from the other side came through. Iggy rolled his eyes and allowed himself to smile.

"Yeah, me too. Anyway... fourth floor."

"Onwards."

Larry spoke again. "Okay you two; once you're inside the server room there is nothing we can do to help you."

"Well, can you help us now?" Iggy asked.

Larry paused. "U-uh... n-no, I can't... not really..."

They reached the fourth floor with little fanfare - a pretty good record so far. But once they opened the door and were confronted with the squeaky clean tiled hallway, the pressure was on again. The stairwell had given them room to breathe, but now the race was on. The problem was they had no idea where the server was. They hadn't had any time to go through the actual layout of the building, as wasn't the case in every other plan they had executed before. For once, everyone had no idea where they were.

Morton eventually flagged down someone passing by them. "Excuse me? We're doing server maintenance. Can you tell us where it is?"

"You don't know where it is?"

"No sir. This is our first gig."

The officer cocked a grin. "Yeah, you guys don't look like you know what you're doing," He pointed to a set of offices behind them. "Just go through there and keep to the left all the way to the end. It's in a little supply closet area."

"Thanks."

Iggy wanted to be annoyed, but it was true - they really did have no idea what they were doing.

The offices were busy, but ironically no one paid attention to them. Officers and detectives and sergeants all running around either yelling into their phones, typing away at their computers or interviewing witnesses and interrogating suspects, the lifeblood of any police force at work. Morton scrunched his nose at the open office plan. It was so noisy, he couldn't imagine any office nerd with a business degree doing much work when everyone was so rowdy and loud.

They entered the server room and were immediately astonished by the amount of servers on display - floor to ceiling with beeping servers constantly, little lights flashing green, orange and red constantly as activity from the whole building was compiled in real time onto these big bricks of hardware. His nervousness dissipating at the sight of it, Iggy put the bag down and pulled out his laptop. "This is it," He said with a hushed voice, powering it on and pulling out his drive as well as a network cable. "If we don't find it here, we'll only find it at the Royal Knights."

"Let's hope it doesn't come to that." Morton said, looking at the ceiling and the walls instinctively for any security cameras. There weren't any, thankfully. As he opened his bag to reveal his bag of tools, he grabbed the cable and began to slide under the casings. It couldn't be too hard to find a slot on these things, right? Iggy had scooted to press his back against the wall - if anyone burst in, at least they wouldn't be able to see what was going on screen enough for them to sound the alarm.

He hoped so, anyway.

The laptop powered up - it was slow, but Iggy wasn't expecting a portable supercomputer. His external hard drive had survived the trip, as well as the contents - he was nervous that the other hard drive he had gotten everything from would have potentially scrambled the programs, but it seemed like everything was worked as intended.

Morton must have plugged the network cable in correctly, because Iggy was immediately swamped with a login prompt.

"Ain't nothing." He mused to himself, getting into his element, as he opened a simple executable file that scanned server usernames and passwords to replicate himself into the mix. After coming up with a combination of someone who wasn't in the building ("What the hell kind of password is 'iheartrainbows' anyway?") Iggy was in. He had the entire police station server directory on his laptop. Resisting the urge to cackle like a madman and just copy everything, he began to nose through while Morton stood by awkwardly and glanced at the door.

It only took about five seconds before he ran into a problem.

"Shit," He hissed. "I can't get anywhere. Must have logged onto a low level account... hold on..."

Ludwig spoke. "You need to log in as the Chief," He suggested. "I know for a fact that they would have the highest authority."

"Yeah Ludwig, but I don't have his login details and I'm not sure if he's even logged in."

Morton scratched his chin briefly before a light bulb lit up in his mind. "I have an idea. Keep my line open Iggy." While observing the offices, Morton had noticed the Chief of Police in one of them. He was sitting at his desk, so the chance of him being at the computer was very likely. That meant that the situation called for a little distraction. Humming to himself, he knocked on the door.

"Yes, what is it?" The Chief said grumpily, before looking over at Morton and his green uniform. "Oh... it's you. I suppose you're here to look at my computer?"

His grin was so wide that he hoped that the Chief wouldn't notice - a very beneficial change of plans. "Yes sir!" Morton exclaimed enthusiastically. "I am here just to make sure everything is okay!"

"I don't know, this thing has been on the fritz lately. I doubt someone like you could fix it though..."

"Excuse me?" He paused as he was about to sit down.

Larry's tone dipped to a warning. "Morton... don't let him get to you."

"I'm just saying... the Princess asks us to outsource our technology maintenance to some Darklanders like yourself? No offense, but I'm not okay with it. The last one we had on my computer and I'm pretty sure he stole something off of it. I hope he was fired."

"Trust me sir," Morton put on his sweetest voice possible. "I will be doing no such thing. I would just like your username and password and I can help you diagnose and fix any problem you need."

Iggy sighed and waited. Morton didn't know diddly-squat about computers, except they made things happen through the power of science and magic.

He watched as the Chief penned in his username and password, pretending not to look, and immediately tried to commit the digits to memory. They were in! But how could he get it to Iggy without outing himself? He quickly wracked his brain for something, anything, before he came up with the lamest excuse.

"Uh, sir," He interrupted just as the computer logged in. "I apologise but I drank too much coffee this morning and I need to go to the bathroom before I can work on your computer."

The Chief sighed irritably. "Fine. The bathroom is down the hall. Don't take too long or I'll be calling your company and docking it out of your paycheck."

Nodding, Morton raced off immediately to the bathroom and locked himself inside a stall. No one was inside, but he couldn't risk being in there for too long looking like a crazy person talking to himself. As soon as the door slammed and locked, Larry laughed.

"The bathroom? Really?"

"Shut up Larry," He hissed. "Iggy. His user is 'PToadleton' and his password is 'toadstool1983'."

Iggy nodded and typed it down. "Got it. I can't verify until he's logged off though. Otherwise the server is going to ping me a duplicate user error message. Still, good job. You got a quick eye."

"You can't get far in my business without super vision." At the sound of someone opening the door, he shut up and pretended to be finishing up. With a flush and the wash of the hands, Morton quickly returned to the Chief's office. "Sorry about that sir, all good now."

"Good. Now, there's something wrong with it, however, I have no time to tell you what it is," He put on a coat and hat. "I have a media frenzy to report to. Just fix it."

"Yes sir."

Wow, they were dumb. He chuckled and logged the account off. "Okay Iggy, put it in now."

A few taps of typing and... "Bingo. I'm in. Okay, I'll try to do it quick."

Wendy was at the coffee shop around the corner, listening in while seated at a table. Despite Larry's warnings she felt fairly confident in the two to carry things out and, after all, it wouldn't do too well to look like she was on edge and hanging around the van all the time. Too much attention could be drawn to her. Putting down the newspaper she was reading, she looked up and out the window - Toad City was a nice place, she guessed. Everything was a bit too busy for her tastes.

She wondered how Kat was getting on with the business... it had been ages since she'd even talked to her. What with everything that had been going on recently, she had forgotten to even tell her partner that she was still alive.

As she pondered the possibilities of what Kat could potentially do, Wendy noticed something across the street that immediately caught her eye. Standing next to the bus stop, leaning against one of the advertisements, was a Toad shaped figure that was looking in her direction. It could just be a creep that wasn't even looking at her directly, but he was wearing a black cloak.

Just like they had been described to her.

"Shit..." She hissed to herself, her heart suddenly racing. "Shit, shit, shit, shit..."

"What, Wendy?" Morton had heard her.

"Whatever you are doing guys, get it done quickly. I'm being tailed." She left the shop. Everyone paused.

"What?" Iggy interjected, the faint tapping on the keyboard evident in the background. "Who? Is it a cop?"

Wendy immediately walked in the wrong direction deliberately, watching at a side-glance as the figure began to step forward and follow her. "Guy with a black cloak. I think he's Sutaoda."

"What?!" Ludwig said anxiously. "Are you saying that we were tracked by them there? No... no, no no no... guys, you have to pull out of there now!"

"Hold on, I've found it!" Iggy laughed - what great timing. "Seems that our Chief does have a direct line to the Royal Knights HQ. I'm in."

"Iggy, stop what you're doing! Disconnect everything, pack up and get out of the city!"

"What? No! I'm so close Ludwig, and besides, you dragged me into this in the first place!"

The personalized welcome message for the Chief of Police popped up on his screen - figures that he would use the same user/password combination on both his personal computer and the server password. Now he had everything to pore through. However, Morton had returned and slammed the door behind him, picking up his tools and beginning to pack his and Iggy's bags.

"Yeah, and it was a huge mistake! Wendy, where are you?!"

She rounded the block. "I'm just a few shops away. I'm trying to divert my path as much as I can."

"It doesn't matter," Ludwig replied. "They know who you are and you're there. Get the van prepped for Morton and Iggy."

Iggy growled as Morton stood by, arms folded and staring at him. "I'm almost there!" There was a final password on the locations directory. Opening the brute-force program again, Iggy prayed that he could find anything that would let him in. He didn't want to leave this empty-handed.

"Iggy... hurry up."

"I'm trying!" The program scrambled through a cavalcade of numbers and letters, trying to match it with anyone who had authorization. It was taking too long, but he had to... he had to, there was no other choice. Furrowing his brow at the frenzy of words still dripping down his screen, he tried to ignore Ludwig screaming in his ear.

Finally, a lone word was inputted into the password selection box. He pressed 'enter'.

Iggy was in.

"Copy everything onto the hard drive and get out of there!" Larry ordered - apparently Ludwig had left and was now pacing the room. "We'll decode everything back here."

"We can't stay here!" Ludwig's voice shouted in the background. "We're in danger, we have to pack everything up and get ready to leave when they get back!"

"Oh for fucks sake, Ludwig, calm down!" Roy snapped. "You're going to bug them out even more!"

Again, he tried to ignore the background noise and began to copy everything. "Five minutes." He said simply.

"Okay, I'm at the van. You guys need to get down here, now."

"Five minutes." Iggy repeated as he watched the progress bar slowly rise.

She kicked the van into gear as she spotted her stalker in the rear-view mirror, slowly shambling towards her. "Fuck you Iggy, I've gotta run. Let me know when you're ready to be picked up." The van tore down the street in a big rush, kicking up plumes of white smoke that made for a nice smokescreen. Her pursuer watched as she receded from sight, just standing there, hands in pockets.

He turned, looking up at the police station with a weird smile before pulling out a cellphone, dialing a number and disappearing down a side alley.

"Morton, please!" The lanky male almost screamed. "I can't concentrate when you're pacing in here like a drug addict!"

"You're not concentrating, you're just sitting there waiting for a bar to rise!"

"It's very important that nothing is interrupted in the process, you know that!"

A sudden knocking on the door startled them.

"Um, excuse me? What is going on in there?"

"Nothing!" Morton said. "Just... my partner and I having an argument."

The laptop dinged - the files from the server had been copied over successfully! Morton immediately leaped to action, disconnecting the network cable from the server as Iggy slowly pulled himself up and filed his laptop away in his bag. Just as they stood up, the door opened - one of the police officers stared at them.

"What are you two doing?"

"Server maintenance. Speaking of which, your server seems to be in good order," They pushed past him. "I don't know when the next schedule is, they don't tell us these things, anyway, got to go!"

Iggy deadpanned as they hurried down the stairwell. "Smooth."

"Shut up. Wendy, we're ready."

She screeched around a corner a few blocks away. "Got it... come on, stay green, please..."

They tried not to seem suddenly anxious as they exited through the front door - despite the looks they were getting, they made it out just fine. Maybe it was just the prejudices or whatever, they couldn't deliberate on it. Not half a minute later Wendy rolled up in front of them - Morton threw open the back doors and both of them jumped in.

"We're in!"

Everyone gave a sigh of relief (Morton gave a clap of excitement) except Ludwig, who was furiously running around like a chicken with its head missing. He looked very distressed, which made Larry, Lemmy and Roy also very distressed. And annoyed.

The three in the van allowed themselves a sigh of relief as Iggy pulled out his laptop from his bag and began to search the directories that he had copied. He swore, if Ludwig's rushing made him not get anything, he would be so furious at everyone for making him go through that... there was a reason why he never did ground work. Across from him, Morton was downing an entire bottle of water.

"Looks like everything copied okay..." He observed. "Let's just pick apart what we need and I'll... save the rest for later."

Now that they were in the relative safety of the van, Iggy had more breathing room to look through everything in full. Immediately, a folder stood out from the rest - aptly titled 'Artifacts', he opened it.

"That was some good improvising there, guys," Larry sounded impressed. "Honestly? We went in without a plan and you guys nailed it."

Ludwig disagreed, but stayed quiet.

Iggy couldn't believe his eyes - they had everything in here! The locations, the history, any important suspects that could have tampered with the artifacts in anyway... this was really shady, if he could be honest. There were details of so many people in here he couldn't believe it. One person caught his eye though, because it was marked in big bold letters.

 **'LEADER'**

"Shit..."

"What, Iggy?"

He swallowed. "They... they know who's in charge of the Order. I think they know a lot more than what they've been letting on."

"You sound surprised." Morton commented.

Curiously, he opened the file; pages upon pages of documents littered the screen. It looked like years worth of observations were condensed into this one folder.

"Christopher Tanaka..." He said idly.

Ludwig's voice had suddenly dropped. "What...? Iggy, repeat that name to me again."

"Uh... Christopher Tanaka?"

"That... that... no. No, no, no, no..."

Iggy blinked. "... Ludwig?" He looked over to Morton, who was frowning at his reaction, and gave a shrug. The ex-Chief was muttering to himself in a now-apparent meltdown, his voice fading away from the microphone before Larry took over.

"I don't know what's up with him, but I'm sure we'll weasel it out of him soon enough. Is the location of the last artifact there?"

"Give me a second," Iggy closed everything and began to search again - it didn't take long for him to find it though. At least the Royal Knights were organized - they had everything labeled neatly in columns. He ran over the two entries - two of them had been updated a few days ago, and one entry had been updated a few hours before. Obviously the first two were the two artifacts that Ludwig had and what they stole from the Bank & Trust. That meant the third one was their target.

The third artifact had originally been stored in the Dry Dry Desert, a kingdom that bordered north of the Darklands and the Mushroom Kingdom. Just the day before though, the Royal Knights had confirmation of an expedition team who had moved the artifact to a new location.

Where it was, the coordinates and everything was laid out in front of him.

Seeing the name made him shiver though; it was a name that he hadn't thought of in a long time, but it still bought back the horrific memories of a time when things had changed forever.

 _'Snowblast Peaks, North Ashor, Snowy Kingdom'._

* * *

 _TIME: Ten Years Ago..._

 _"Stick to the plan! Stick to the plan, guys!"_

 _"Come on, Wendy's not too far out with the escape chopper!"_

 _"I can't believe it - we got this much money?! What are we going to do with it?"_

 _"I know what I'm going to do with it Lemmy boy, I'm going to spend it on booze!"_

 _"Fireworks though!"_

 _"Larry, Ludwig, you're falling behind!"_

 _"We're trying! This snow is just too thick though..."_

 _"Get a move on!"_

 _"... Ludwig?"_

 _"Lawrence. I'm sorry, but you know this couldn't keep going on."_

 _"There it is..."_

 _"Lawrence Koopa, you are under arrest for theft-"_

 _"Shit, Larry!"_

 _"Roy, what are you doing?!"_

 _"I knew there was something up with him!"_

 _"Roy, get out of here!"_

 _"I ain't giving up on you, Larry!"_

 _"No! Don't you dare!"_

 _"Freeze!"_

* * *

 _Larry opened his eyes. He could feel the snow whipping against his face. The gun pointed at his face. The one gesture that threatened him into submission. His life in the hands of someone who had every right to end it. Hearing the name that Iggy read out made everything feel cold. The cold that he hadn't felt for ten years._

 _This wasn't part of the plan._

 _He hadn't planned for it to go like this._

* * *

 _"Ludwig?"_

 _"Yes, Lawrence?"_

 _"I know... I know you're a cop."_

 _He took a deep breath._

 _"... I want to make you a deal."_


	14. North Ashor Memories

_A/N: Woops, I haven't touched this for a while because I've now got full time employment yaaay. I still want to finish this though, so thank you for your patience ;w;_

* * *

 **CHAPTER 14 - North Ashor Memories**

 _LOCATION: Main Street, North Ashor, Snowy Kingdom_

 _TIME: 6:31PM_

Back to sitting in a van again.

Rumbling down the main street in a backwater town out in the middle of nowhere. The snow falling gently and pattering the windshield as the sun dipped slowly into the horizon.

He couldn't remember a time when the sky looked so beautiful and yet... bleak at the same time. The day falling to the wayside and cycling itself for a new experience. One that no one would ever know could pan out next. A sobering thought when he pondered it.

The atmosphere inside the van was thick. No one was happy being here.

Too many bad memories.

Too much pain and sorrow.

Everyone had their own reasons for feeling that way - for the majority of the group, it was having the livelihood that they had enjoyed so much ripped out from under them in the course of a few seconds. For Ludwig, it was the site of one of his greatest achievements. That was what the news said, anyway. As the days stretched into weeks the stoic face he always tried to keep was slowly falling apart.

But of course, like anything, actions spoke louder than words. Ludwig kept his cards close to his chest.

Iggy sat next to him, tapping away softly at his laptop. Roy was up front driving for Wendy, who had taken a well-deserved break completely asleep in the passenger seat. Everyone else was crammed in the back with their bags full of supplies for the trip - the Koopa Bros weren't letting them go without some things for the journey; weapons, food and water.

It had taken another solid day of driving with a few pit stops. So far the entire journey had just felt like an impromptu road trip that they never felt like having.

Larry had questioned his sanity many times over - the cult... was this all in his head? Was it a weird hallucination concocted by his delirious mind? Maybe that night at the Bank & Trust he was actually hurt a lot more than he thought and was actually in a coma somewhere in a hospital. It was something that he had considered seriously. But no matter how many times he pinched and picked at the scales on his arm and how much that hurt, he never woke up.

And now he was back where he thought he'd never come back to in his entire life.

"Come on," Lemmy said unconvincingly as they parked at the motel. "It's not that bad."

Roy grunted. "Our lives ended in this shit hole town." It was a statement that no one could disagree on.

But, as always, Lemmy's optimism was appreciated, even if the group felt fragmented in so many ways. For Larry, it was a weird sort of nostalgia for the town. The day where everything ended... but before that, it was himself and his friends. Things had to have changed for the better though... but he could not shake that feeling of the days long past.

Was he really starting to like this life again? Did this mean he was unhappy with Liza and Nick and had secretly been wanting to do this again?

It was hard to deny; looking over at everyone filing out of the van, he could only imagine them in their masks and holding their weapons and all devising a plan to rob something cleanly and quietly. Sometimes it was a bank, other times it was a house burglary... his heart swelled just slightly at the thought of repeating it again, for old time's sake. If he could be honest, it scared him more than anything in the world.

The Glacier Motel welcomed them with all the enthusiasm of an acquaintance that just wanted them to go away. They all jumped out from the van into the glowing light of the neon sign above them buzzing an unnatural red against the fog and the snow whipping at them. Behind them cars rumbled by slowly and amicably, unaware of the group that had just arrived and turned the entire town inside out that fateful day ten years ago. The knot in Larry's stomach refused to unwind itself as he turned around and saw them all wondering to the safety of the balcony overhang.

"So, what's the deal?" Morton asked as he hugged his arms against his body, shivering slightly.

Ludwig answered when Larry didn't, who had joined them with a cigarette between his lips again. "We stay in a single room. Too suspicious if we all order separate rooms." He looked to see if anyone would argue with him - luckily for them, no one did. It was just for one night to regain their energy. That was the unspoken plan.

Wendy volunteered to rent them a room as she was the only one who wasn't aware in the minds of the public. She came out a minute later with a key and some directions - second floor in the corner of the building.

The room didn't give much optimism either - it was drab, like a time capsule stuck in an era that felt long out of date; beige walls, brown carpeting, a weird smell of smoke and dust and the mini-refrigerator humming like an old movie camera. They looked at each other, too tired to talk, but they all knew the discussion had to come about at some point.

"Who gets the bed?"

Lemmy and Wendy looked over to Larry, who had just flicked his cigarette out the door before closing it. "Please," He rumbled, sitting down in one of the seats. "I'm fine."

"Larry, you still can't walk properly." Lemmy argued, giving that always concerned look he had been giving him for the past week - it annoyed Larry so much. "You need the bed."

"If he doesn't want the bed, then don't force him to," Ludwig interrupted. "If we're going to argue about this, then I'll take executive decision and I'll sleep on the bed."

Roy folded his arms and shot back immediately. "How chivalrous of you, not even asking the lady."

"Screw you Roy. I'm not a princess." Wendy said. "I can sleep on the floor."

"Me too." Morton had already pressed himself up against the wall across from the bed. Lemmy nodded and sat down next to him.

Larry rubbed his temples. "Look, we all can't sleep on the floor. But if it will make you guys feel any better, I'll sleep on the couch. Okay?"

Everyone seemed to be in agreement with that, at judging from their faces. It was hard to gleam anything from them except the tired expressions they all carried. When was this all going to end? No... wait, that was a dumb question for him to ask. EIther they'd all die or they'd somehow make it through all this.

The room fell silent as everyone took their places; it was tempting to walk around and shake the cobwebs from the long trip, but once they had all settled down in a place where they felt safe for the time being it wasn't out of the question to call it a day.

He sat on the end of the couch close to the door with his gun sitting in his jacket pocket and he tried to sleep. He tried to.

Iggy's tapping of the keyboard was annoying him though. Larry was tempted to get up and slap the thing off his hands; it would be a little part of a big act of revenge for dragging him into this whole thing, but he wasn't stupid. So he settled for a small 'hmph' as he pursed his lips and twisted his body around in an attempt to block out the sound. It worked when Morton had passed him a pillow and he was able to finally rest his head on something nice for once.

He felt a shaking on his shoulder.

"Hey."

Larry grumbled, his entire body feeling heavy and sleepy already. He just wanted some sleep... he blinked and craned his vision upwards. " _Ugh, what?_ "

The entire room was dimly lit and the light sounds of everyone snoring was apparent. He quickly recognized the person shaking him awake was Roy.

"Hungry." He grunted, to which Larry waved him off.

"So what? I'm not your mother."

Roy stepped back and rubbed one of his eyes. "Fuck you. I mean you wanna go out and get something to eat? I can't sleep."

"So why'd you wake me up?"

"Because you looked like you weren't having a good time."

His hand immediately went to his forehead, where the beads of sweat forming on his scales suddenly became apparent. How long had that been there for?

"Whatever you were dreaming about, it wasn't good."

Larry sighed and pushed himself up off the couch. "I don't remember what I was even dreaming about... what time is it?"

"Midnight," Roy slung on his coat. "I'm just starving though. Wonder if this shit town has anywhere to eat at this time?"

Now that Larry thought about it, he could go for something to eat. His stomach rumbled at the mere thought of eating something that wasn't from a gas station. Although the prospect of losing more sleep was a minus, it was better than sitting around and having his body bitch at him even more than it already was doing.

"I can't believe you still know how to drive."

Roy shrugged. "Hey, just some things you don't forget."

"Driving a car is one of them?"

The cold was still in full force as they stepped outside. "You don't forget your old man sitting you in his fancy muscle car and showing you how to handle it." His expression changed slightly, as if he was suddenly remembering something. "Hey, Lar?"

"Hm?"

"You never talked much about your old man since we knew each other. What's the deal with that?"

Larry gave him a side glance. "It wasn't that important to say. You know what happened."

"It's just that you've been weird ever since Bowser and Junior died, that's all I'm sayin'."

"No, I have not." He hoisted himself into the passenger seat of the van. "I don't know what gave you that idea and I don't see how this is relevant to anything. If you're implying what I think you're implying, you know that's just stupid."

"Alright fine... geez."

The ride across town wasn't too eventful. The pair had settled into a comfortable silence, Larry watching the cars roll by lazily on the snow covered roads and the citizens in their puffy jackets all stumbling home after a night at the bar. What was the day today... Sunday? Monday? He'd lost track ages ago, like many things that were on his mind.

A fast food place on the outskirts stood out like a great big beacon of commercial safety - that was the closest the two decided to go for. Only a few minutes later they had go through the exit of the drive-thru with bags of food sitting in the back - they decided that the others would need something as well when they would eventually return.

Larry had found himself munching on some fries when he noticed something odd outside the window - they weren't going back the way they came. "Where are we going?" He asked.

"Just gotta take care of something... I'm sure you understand, don't you?"

He wanted to protest, but he couldn't even get the words out of his mouth. All that was there was the rising bile of anxiety in his stomach.

Yes. Yes, he did understand.

The van rumbled to a halt outside the gates of the bank. It was a small building in natural land, flanked by a field all around with a few houses dotted for good measure. The lights were out and the building had obviously closed for the night. Still, the sight of it made him nervous but also a feeling that he couldn't describe. Even in the darkness of the world around them, the bland monument stood above them, a constant reminder of what had happened ten years ago.

Larry understood why they were here. Why Roy wanted to come here.

So why was he just sitting there and not following him outside? Again, he wanted to protest that it was dangerous for them to even be out this late at night, but he just watched as Roy ambled to the parking lot, covered in freshly laid snow.

"You understand Larry, don't you?" He said, standing in that spot, in that very same spot. Larry had caught up behind him, hobbling and holding his arms against his shivering body. "Of course you would. You know what happened here, don't you?"

Larry shook his head. "Of course I do! I was there... we all were..."

* * *

 _LOCATION: Timber Point Bank, North Ashor, Snowy Kingdom_

 _TIME: 10:21AM_

 _Ten years ago..._

 _"Okay everyone," The leader addressed his troops inside the van. It rumbled along the snowy road slowly, the contents of it unaware by the populace of the small kingdom. "This is it. Still a small bank, but we still do things the old fashioned way - no fighting, no gun fire and we stick to the plan."_

 _Everyone nodded, taking in his words with a silent vigor and then went back to preparing their things. The plan had been easy and simple to follow. Larry had emphasized so much over the past few weeks that this was to be as quick and executed well as possible. He looked over to Ludwig, who was sliding one of his leather gloves on. "Hey, you ready to do this?"_

 _"Ready as I'll ever be."_

 _Lemmy nodded and zipped up his bag. "Yep, no worries! We'll follow you all the way to the end!"_

 _"Do we know the battle plan if things go crazy?"_

 _"Split up, make a break for it, lay low under the radar."_

 _The static voice of Iggy buzzed in all their ears. "Right - I have you all on dial, so if we need to split for any reason then I'll be able to keep tabs on you all."_

 _"Iggy, you sure you won't be compromised there?"_

 _"Pfft, I'll be fine. If they get wind of anything I'll be gone before they know it."_

 _The van bumped over the unstable road below them. "Good," Larry replied. "And we're good with our weapons, everyone?" Even if they never used their weapons much, it was still a good idea to bring them in. After all, they wouldn't get far if they didn't make the impression of fear among any potential heroes. He huffed some breath into his hands to warm them up - the plan had to be perfect. That way, no one could get hurt._

 _Just follow the plan._

 _The Timber Point Bank curled almost into a u-turn as the van pulled up into the parking lot. He counted the amount of civilians there were - not many cars, just seemed like the employees cars were here. Still he couldn't be too sure._

 _"Alright everyone," Wendy said, putting the van into park. "We're here."_

 _"Thanks Wendy. Remember what to do?"_

 _"Ditch the van, head to the escape chopper and wait for instructions." She repeated back to him, to which he gave the thumbs up._

 _"Good. Alright everybody, let's put another one down for the books," Larry slung his rifle on his shoulder and kicked the van doors open. "Masks on and let's rumble!"_

 _One by one, the gang filed out the back with their masks on and clad in their winter wear clothes - they couldn't afford to get fancy in this weather, but hey, they wouldn't freeze to death and that was all that mattered. Wendy had peeled out of the parking lot once everyone was confirmed out, leaving just the five of them to carry on through the front door._

 _Larry was the first through, followed by Lemmy who caught everyone's attention by unslinging his revolvers and shooting out both security cameras flanking them._

 _"Get down! Get down right now!" He screamed, shoving one of the scared customers to the ground. "I said get down right now!"_

 _Like clockwork, Morton was already practically pressing his shotgun against the bars, daring the clerks to sound the alarm. The civilians had dropped immediately - rural workers cashing in their paychecks for the day just pressing themselves against the tile flooring. They knew the stakes, everyone did._

 _"Roy, Lemmy! Get behind the counters and set up the explosives! Ludwig, Morton, you're on me! Let's do a round-up of the circus here!"_

 _"You got it!" Ludwig replied, immediately turning to check the back room to his left. Meanwhile, Roy and Lemmy had kicked the door open behind the booth and were now taking numbers of the staff behind. As was usually the case with each bank job they pulled, Larry made sure everyone was down before he jumped up onto the counter._

 _"Alright everyone! Listen up! As you know, this is a robbery! But please note that we are not after your money, we are after the banks! You won't lose a single coin, the bank is insured! This is the kingdoms money and no one else's! So I ask that you stay down, stay calm and don't try anything stupid. Remember, heroes get killed!"_

 _Roy manhandled a balding man into the backroom. "You heard the man!"_

 _"P-please sir! We're just doing our jobs...!"_

 _Ludwig and Morton were beginning to get everyone into the back now - no civilians had to be outside for this. Less chance of any potential deaths in the firefight if one happened to break out. If the plan is stuck according to though, they would be fine. He jumped off once the last civilian was put into the back and aimed his rifle. "If anyone is out here, they better show themselves now if they're going to get a bullet for their trouble!"_

 _The main hallway door slammed open - Lemmy came through unrolling a spool of wire. "Hot explosives, coming through!"_

 _"If any of you hit the alarm, you're done for!" Ludwig threatened, waving his rifle at the scared civilians all sprawled out across the floor. "This isn't worth it, trust me!"_

 _"Wired up!" Lemmy had pulled out a detonator and hooked the end of the wire to the device. "Fire in the hole in three, two, one...!"_

 _ ***KA-BOOM***_

 _The building rumbled with such intensity that plaster was kicked from the ceiling. It was like they were all hit in the chest with a shovel._

 _"Holy shit that was loud!" Iggy exclaimed, his microphone rustling a little bit - he was obviously rubbing his ears. "How much did you put in there, Lemmy?!"_

 _"Just enough to get the job done!" He replied proudly, throwing the door open and being confronted immediately with a plume of smoke. The entire room suddenly smelt of TNT. It was an awful smell, at least to everyone else except him._

 _The crew coughed their way through to the vault, where a nice big hole where the door used to be stood in front of them... and some of the deposit boxes had been absolutely trashed as well._

 _"You were only supposed to blow the door off, Lemmy!" Larry admonished him, but if that bothered the small Koopa, he didn't show it. Nonetheless they immediately got to work, slinging their empty bags onto the table inside the vault - for a small building, it was lined floor to ceiling with deposit boxes in that tacky beige colour that Larry never liked. It was lucky for them that they weren't really interested in the contents inside there._

 _What lay before them was their bounty - pallets of tightly wrapped blue, red and yellow coins waiting for them! Chuckling with all the delight of a kid in a very large candy shop, Roy, Morton and Lemmy began to immediately shovel as much as they could into their bags as possible._

 _"Okay guys, the alarm's been tripped. We have about five minutes to get out there before the cops show up." Iggy said._

 _Larry began to usher everyone out once they had gotten enough. "Stick to the plan! Stick to the plan, guys!"_

 _"Out the back garage! Let's go!" Ludwig commanded, pushing Lemmy and Morton as the last ones out, Larry bringing up the rear. They hadn't encountered any resistance yet... yet. Good... so far so good. They rounded the corner and deep into the bowels of the bank, where they came to the service garage. The door was locked. "Roy, get the controls!"_

 _Roy nodded and made straight for the door. "Got it boss!" He slammed the button and the garage door rumbled open slowly, giving everyone enough time to readjust themselves and gather their energy again. He poked his head out slowly - no one was out there. "It's clear!"_

 _"Come on, Wendy's not too far out with the escape chopper!" Morton exclaimed, taking the lead with Lemmy and Roy not too far behind. As they jogged over the snow into the daylight, they began to relax a little - the hard part had been done._

 _"I can't believe it - we got this much money?!" Lemmy laughed, his bag jostling with coins with every step he took. "What are we going to do with it?"_

 _Roy spun around quickly to look behind him, a big grin on his face. "I know what I'm going to do with it Lemmy boy, I'm going to spend it on booze!" He exclaimed happily._

 _"Fireworks though!"_

 _As they rounded the corner to the barn nearby, Morton spun around and noticed they were two men down. Looking up at the small hill where the parking lot lay, he could see them hobbling slowly across it. "Larry, Ludwig, you're falling behind!"_

 _"We're trying! This snow is just too thick though..."_

 _"Get a move on!" Roy said. They weren't going to hang around too long._

 _The two left behind made their way to the entrance of the gate slowly, their bags of money holding them down significantly as they kicked their way through the snow. Even as Larry reached the exit he stopped and turned around, noting that Ludwig was behind him._

 _And it was for a good reason._

 _"... Ludwig?" He breathed, putting his hands up - his second-in-command was pointing his rifle right at him, a steely and determined look in his eyes._

 _He spoke, but it was with a knowing smile. "Lawrence. I'm sorry, but you know this couldn't keep going on."_

 _Larry returned it as he didn't move a muscle - in the distance, sirens blared down the road._

 _"There it is..." He whispered to himself._

 _Ludwig pulled out his badge and flipped it open. "Lawrence Koopa, you are under arrest for theft-"_

 _"Shit, Larry!"_

 _That made all of them pause - Roy had dropped the bag and was suddenly tearing back towards them._

 _Lemmy screamed after him, but refused to leave the barn. "Roy, what are you doing?!"_

 _"I knew there was something up with him!"_

 _He felt his stomach drop - no, no, no this wasn't in the plan! He can't! "Roy, get out of here!" He snapped, still standing there as the cops closed in on them from their hiding spots._

 _They watched as Roy suddenly burst through the gate and pulled his gun out. "I ain't giving up on you, Larry!"_

 _"No! Don't you dare!" Ludwig was ready to pull the trigger first, but luckily an officer had quickly intercepted him and tripped him to the ground._

 _"Freeze!" The officer screamed in his face, rolling him in the snow and kicking his weapon away while the swarm of police and SWAT officers surrounded everyone. The screams of their companions faded away in their ears as Larry fell to his knees, surrendering himself to the deal that he had made with Ludwig. He could only take a glance at Roy before he was suddenly overtaken with officers._

 _His heart was thumping rapidly in his chest as he watched Ludwig stand there, watching him with stoic eyes as they led him away in handcuffs._

 _He could only hope that everyone else had gotten away._

* * *

 _"... Ludwig?" He had cornered Ludwig at the safe house, who was reading a novella and nursing some tea before he could inevitably retire to bed._

 _"Yes, Lawrence?"_

 _"I know..."_

 _He took a deep breath and watched as the colour drained from his second-in-command's face._

 _"... I know you're a cop."_

 _He put his hands out to calm Ludwig, who looked like he was about jump up and shoot him._

 _"But I'm not going to kill you. Actually... I'm glad you are a cop."_

 _Ludwig was still nervous. "Why do you say that, Lawrence?"_

 _"Ludwig. I gotta get out of this game," He said, taking a seat at his table. "I... you know Liza and Nick... I have a family now. I have to be there for them as a husband and a father and this? This whole shit show?" He gestured around the room. "I can't do this life anymore. I need an out. So... I want to make you a deal."_

 _The undercover officer closed his eyes and shut his book. He tried to relax, but it was hard to. "... What can we do for each other?"_

 _"I'm not stupid. I know how wanted we are and I know you're trying to get us all at once, but it's not viable. So here's what I'm proposing; you get me and my family out of here."_

 _"And what would I get from this?"_

 _"You get the glory of being the cop who took down the Koopaling Gang because, let's face it Ludwig - this gang will fall apart without me."_

 _Ludwig had a brow raised and was deep in thought._

 _"Look, you capture me, put me in prison for a while, you get all the glory and you can relocate me and my family to somewhere nice and safe."_

 _It was an interesting proposition and something that he couldn't take with a grain of salt - after all, he had spent the better part of many years trying to get close to this gang and to set up a sting operation on them. But there was no way his superiors would accept this deal... one man after all these years? It was basically worthless. But still, it was worth a shot. "What about everyone else?"_

 _Larry looked over his shoulder to see if anyone was listening on them, and then leaned forward. "I'd rather not... but if it happens, it happens."_

* * *

When he opened his eyes again, he realized he was back in the present.

And when Roy had whipped around and pulled the pistol out of his pocket, Larry only followed suit subconsciously. He didn't realise he was even aiming at his friend until the voice hit his ears all over again.

"You fucking snake! I knew it! I knew that there was something weird about you and him!"

Larry finally found his words. "You don't understand."

"Don't understand what?! I lost ten years of my life because of you two! Ludwig, I knew he was a rat from the start but you?! You were my friend Larry, and you sold me out!"

"I didn't sell you out! You sold yourself out!" Larry screamed at him. "You didn't have to run after me! You didn't have to try and be a big hero! Everything was just fine until you jumped in and ruined it for yourself!"

For probably the first time ever in his life, he saw Roy look genuinely hurt, even if it was only for a split second. Then it was back to anger.

"So you're saying it's my fault then?! It's my fault that you fucked all of us?!"

"It's your fault that you didn't understand what the stakes were for me! You don't have a family like I did!" His finger was starting to press down just slightly on the trigger as his emotions built up - all this rage that he knew was always underneath the surface but never had a chance to explode was now. "I know you and Iggy hated Liza! I'm not stupid!"

"She ruined you Larry! She ruined the gang!"

"She did fucking nothing except want to raise her kid like a normal family! I couldn't have told any of you, none of you would have understood!"

"You never asked us!"

"You never cared about us!" Panting heavily, trying to catch his breath in the bitter cold of the night, Larry's body shook. "I'm... I'm so sorry about what I did and what happened. I made what I thought was the right call and fuck, I was in prison too. I was in solitary and I couldn't see anyone for months! I never ratted you guys out, I just made a deal to get out of this life."

Roy sneered. "Didn't help none. You're still in it!"

"I am... I fucking am. Bowser..."

"What was the point then, huh Larry? Suddenly your longtime friends didn't matter to you?"

"I missed you guys. I missed you all so much... look, just pull the fucking trigger, okay?! Get your revenge! End this then if it will make you so fucking happy!"

Out of nowhere, a voice interrupted them.

"Please do not end this. Not yet."

Larry barely had time to turn around before the entire world went black.

A cloud of snow exploded at Roy's feet, causing him to spin around - out from the hedge lining the parking lot was a group of dark cloaked individuals walking ominously towards him, holding rifles. Immediately he took off into a sprint, gunshots suddenly ringing out and piercing through the quiet farmlands.

Footsteps pounding, ignoring everything except his will to survive the onslaught, he ripped the driver door open and jumped in - thank god he still left the keys in the ignition!

Luck was on his side as the engine roared to life even as the van began to be pelted with a hail of bullets from his attackers. Shit, shit, shit, shit, come on, make it, please! He floored the accelerator and peeled out of the parking lot and back onto the main road.

No. It didn't even click for him until he arrived in Main Street that Larry... no, he didn't want to say it.

Larry was dead.

And it was his fault.

* * *

The group rejoined around the fallen body, their rifles smoking and watched as the van disappeared into the darkness of the horizon. The tall figure who was standing at helm chuckled at his followers.

"What would have happened if you had killed him?" A calloused hand scratched his chin thoughtfully under the hood. "That would have put a damper in everything, don't you think?"

One of them spoke. "It is all according to plan, Master Ito."

Niko pulled back his hood. "Indeed," He crouched down and inspected the unconscious Larry with the detachment of a police officer investigating a crime scene. "We now have Bowser's protege. A good bargaining chip indeed..."

"The artifact is here, Master. Why do we not go after it now?"

"Because Sister, and it is a sin of mine that I will admit to you all, I have some personal business to square off with the Chief of Police. So, let them find it for now. After all their loyalty is bar none. I don't think we'll have any trouble with negotiations. I just ask that you all have faith in me that this will all come together. Our time with the Dark Lord is nearing and we mustn't hasten it."

"Yes Master."

"Now come, everyone. Let us take our dear protege back to the commune..."

He nodded with satisfaction as one of the followers hoisted him over his shoulder and began to file out back the way they came. Niko took one look at the full moon and chuckled wryly to himself.

"He will be our second guest of honor, after all."

* * *

 _A/N: Errrgh, obvious foreshadow was obvious but no one expects high class writing from a fic. Anyway thanks for reading and your patience once again, the support I've been getting for this has been amazing!_


	15. Artefact Hunt

**CHAPTER 15 - Artefact Hunt**

* * *

In an instant, chaos had erupted in the tiny motel room when Roy burst through the door covered in snow and sweat.

"We need to get out of here now!" He had screamed at them, getting more and more impatient at how dull and bleary they looked in their eyes. Did they not understand what was going on?! Ludwig had risen from the bed looking annoyed at him before he noticed that Larry wasn't with them - a glance over to the couch saw that there was just an empty space.

"... What's going on? Where is he?"

The big burly man before him had clammed shut, his words falling out of his mouth in little indescribable chunks. When he finally realized what the implication was, his hand had clamped down on his revolver but not drawn. Not yet.

"What the hell did you do to Larry?"

All eyes were on Roy now. All that he saw from them was the hunger pangs for an explanation, anything to satisfy their curiosity.

He growled and finally found his voice. "You... you two are fucking traitors!" In a flash he had his own pistol pointed up to Ludwig's head. Ludwig had returned the gesture in kind.

If they weren't awake before, they certainly were now. The rest of the group were either watching agape at the scene before them and frozen in shock or they had their own weapons drawn. A really bad impasse between sleep deprived people. But no one was ready to take the first shot. Not yet.

"What are you talking about, Roy? What did you two do?" Ludwig questioned, seemingly unfazed by the weapon aimed right between his eyes.

"I figured you out. I figured you and him out..."

"That doesn't explain where Larry is. So I'll ask again Roy, where is he?"

Roy had puffed himself up and was screaming louder now. "YOU TWO BETRAYED ME! YOU SET UP THE BANK JOB WITH HIM!"

That was it. The moment the words left his mouth, everyone was now looking towards Ludwig. The traitor, the one who took the heat for everything, the glory hound... the one person who knew what had really happened. He allowed himself to blink and breathe - a risk that he was willing to take in the situation that he was now thrust into - and looked over to the group. It was a knowing glance, like they didn't have their own suspicions about it. Surely, that little bit of faith in everyone was justified, right?

He was proven wrong when Lemmy spoke up, looking truly hurt for the first time in a really long time.

"Did you... did you and Larry really...?" He said quietly.

The silence hurt. It hurt so much. He didn't want to believe. They were friends... they were close friends. He was a leader and someone they looked up to...

Ludwig destroyed it all with a single nod.

"Yes... yes, he did," He turned back to Roy and steeled his eyes at him. "And Roy here has killed him. I'm next, then?"

"Roy?" Morton spoke up, standing in front of Lemmy. "... Did you?"

The flash of guilt slid across his eyes like the shadow on the parking lot moving up to kill him. His... he wasn't his friend. He never was his friend. But it disappeared quickly.

"... I might as well," He rasped. "None of you would understand... I had to make my peace there..."

"That is stupid Roy. That is so fucking stupid, why would you two go out there!?" Wendy began to scream at him. "I can't believe what I'm hearing! YOU TWO WENT OUT THERE AND YOU GOT HIM KILLED?! WHAT WOULDN'T WE UNDERSTAND?!"

"I LOST TEN YEARS OF MY LIFE THANKS TO LARRY. LARRY KNEW THAT HE WAS A COP! HE SET US ALL UP FROM THE START! WE CAME HERE AND I HAD TO BE SURE!" He paused to catch his breath. "I had to be sure. I spent ten years in there, asking around, trying to make heads and tails of what happened. It was suspicious that we weren't put on the same block and not given the same sentencing for the same crimes. And then we come back and get together and he's being all chummy with this fucker!" He pointed to Ludwig. "Fuck him! If he's dead, then that's a weight off my shoulders-"

In a split second, he felt a force smash against his snout and knock him down straight to the floor. Hearing muffled, vision blurred, all he could feel was the pain crashing down on him before he finally regained a foothold and attacked his assailant right back.

He adjusted his glasses and saw Lemmy, panting furiously and his lip bleeding.

" _How... how dare you say that!_ " He growled. " _How dare you say that about him!_ "

"He wasn't your friend, Lemmy! He was never our friend! He was using us!"

He was staring daggers at him. What Roy saw from the small male was a fury like he had never seen before. It was not the jovial expression that he always carried or the maniacal glee that accompanied him to every job. This was something else. It was something so mature and real and raw that it had floored him, quite literally. Iggy had come over and pulled Lemmy up gently, separating the two of them - after all, he knew what it was like to get the shit kicked out of them by a friend.

"... Ludwig, why did he do it?"

He already knew the answer... but for once in his stupid life, he was going to trust the only person in the world that would trust him the least. Ludwig sighed and holstered his weapon.

"He did it because he wanted out. He did not hate any of you. He did not want to tell you because he thought you wouldn't understand."

Morton sounded genuinely hurt. "If... if he had just explained it to us..."

"If you all hadn't been so... so mean to him and Liza, maybe he wouldn't have kept it a secret!" Lemmy argued furiously. "If he could have trusted us to tell us, none of this wouldn't have happened and... he wouldn't be dead! First Bowser, then Junior and now Larry! Why did you do this, Roy?!"

"Because, Lemmy," Roy had gotten up and pointed a patronizing finger at him. "I'm doing you all a favour. You should be fucking thanking me for weeding that asshole out. He lied to you."

"At least he never killed a friend."

"I'd rather be dead than be betrayed."

"Then he should have shot you. But he didn't... because you know why?" Lemmy leaned in. "Because he still considered you a friend. He cared for us. I just know it..."

"If he was a friend, he wouldn't have dragged us into this cult shit... speaking of," He turned to Ludwig. "They're here."

Ludwig shook his head, although his pale expression betrayed him - obviously, he wasn't expecting them to be so close already. "Pack up, everyone. We need to get to Snowblast Peaks and find that last artefact."

"In the middle of a snowstorm?!"

Ludwig had thrown his coat on. "If we stay here, we'll be dead by dawn. We need to do this now and destroy them as quickly as possible."

"And what next then?" Iggy asked.

"I turn myself in. Roy should too, on account of the crime of being stupid, anyway."

Roy growled, but didn't say anything except clench his fist.

"At least he didn't murder Larry, Roy." Lemmy continued to glare at him as he got dressed into his winter wear and flung his scarf around his neck. Roy shot back with something that got straight to his core.

"You tell yourself that. But don't tell me you don't have your doubts now about him."

The sad thing was, deep down inside, he knew it was true. Everything had suddenly re-contextualized itself now that he thought about it. The most annoying part of it was looking up and seeing that look in Roy's eyes - his red pupils staring back down at him, the faintest of smirks on his snout. It was smugly saying, I told you so.

In the end, how could he argue with that?

He threw his hands up slowly as they all departed the room, Morton handing him his pistol as Ludwig shut the door behind him.

"We can't mourn Lawrence now," He said. "In due course we will. But for now, let's just do the damn thing. Then we can deal with you." He pointed accusingly at Roy before ascending down the motel stairs.

Iggy spoke up behind him. "Who's going to tell Liza?"

"Whoever she liked the most. So... I guess me and Lemmy?" Wendy replied, looking over to a quietly surprised Lemmy.

"She liked me?"

"Of course she did." She said like it was the most obvious thing in the world. That gave him something to ponder about - out of all the criminals that she knew, why him? It was no secret that Liza didn't exactly hold a high opinion of the gang. The most they ever interacted with each other was between jobs and it was cordial at best. Liza looked like she ever only gritted her teeth in their presence so the news of this was something else.

But that didn't change the fact that they had lost Larry. Now they had to bury someone else and leave a child without a parent. He scratched his chin as he sat down in the back of the van, deep in thought; why did Larry have a kid during all this? He wanted to call him a fool... but Larry wasn't a fool.

They were the fools.

Iggy sidled up next to him and opened up the laptop again - he looked terrible. His hair was disheveled and his general demeanor was slack-jawed drunk sleepiness. He noticed Lemmy looking over at the screen, intently taking in the information that was in front of him.

"You know something, Lem?"

"What, Iggy?"

"I regret it. Treating him like that. Saying he was going soft on us," Everyone was looking at him now. "He was right to beat the hell out of me. He kept us together through everything. Through thick and thin and now he's paid the price."

Roy growled again from the corner, arms folded. "You're forgetting he betrayed us."

"The man is dead, Roy. What's done is done. How you react to getting him killed is of your own volition."

"What, you're going to put me on trial and judge me for doing something that if you were me you would have done also?"

"Everyone." Ludwig steeled, getting into the driver's seat. "Focus on the plan."

"You're not sad, Ludwig?" Morton said quietly. "About Larry gone?"

His breath stuttered. "Y-yes... yes, I am. Betray you all he might have but he cared about you guys, I promise you that." The older male looked over his shoulder and saw the bunch of them, sitting there, looking sullen and defeated. They were leaderless now for the first time in a long time. "Iggy, do you have the directions?"

"Right here. Just take the highway out of Ashor, we'll get to Snowblast Peaks in no time at all."

* * *

Darkness followed by blurred vision. A realisation of coming back into consciousness. A feeling that he was all too familiar with that greeted him like another old friend. His body felt so heavy, his head swimming in a muddy haze of fog. He blinked to try and clear the black spots in his vision, slowly coming to realize where he was.

He tried to stand up but was met with resistance from his arms. Looking down, he could see that he was tied up.

" _What..._ " Larry murmured, tugging harder. When that didn't work, his heart started to pound even harder. " _What the hell?_ "

A voice spoke from behind him. "Don't bother struggling. They're pretty thorough with their knots. Wouldn't be surprised if they were a bunch of scouts as kids."

"Who the hell is that?" He tried to crane his head. "Where the hell am I?"

"Calm down. You're just in the Sutaoda's shithole compound."

Larry blinked and tried again to look behind him. "Wait a second... that... who..."

Behind him, a door burst open. "Thought we heard voices from here. Are you speaking to the prisoner?"

"Yes sir. Just telling him his lot in life has come to be stuck in a dungeon with you fine fellows."

"Very funny," A dark cloaked figured stood in front of Larry and grabbed him under the chin, forcing his view upwards into the eyes of a koopa. "It's about time that you've woken up. The Master is anxious to know that he hadn't killed you."

When the cloaked figure was satisfied, he quickly spun the chair around. The sight of what Larry was now seeing made him wake up even more.

"Holy shit... Bowser?!"

There he was, in the flesh. About as large and stocky as one would come to expect of him, but however long he had been here had obviously taken its toll on him. His scales were covered in dirt and blood as was his suit jacket, ripped and torn and faded. All that Bowser could do, sitting in that chair with his arms in front of him all tied up, was grin at the sight of him. Larry couldn't return the gesture in kind.

"I thought you were dead."

Bowser laughed weakly. "I thought there'd be more than just you for this rescue."

"There wasn't a rescue planned," Larry shot back. "We heard that your place got broken into and a bunch of people were shot dead."

"That is true." He nodded thoughtfully at this. "It did happen as I expected, after all. I suppose Ito got you as well then?"

"Who?"

The cultist tutted and chided Bowser like a child. "Come now Bowser, don't you know to call him Master Ito?"

"Funny, when we were friends, he let me call him Niko. Always got friends who stab me in the back and then expect me to address them differently nowadays. What is the world coming to?" Bowser chuckled wryly. The way he was so unhinged in the face of all this made Larry shiver. The cultist however didn't seem to find it that funny, because within a second he had brandished a double barreled shotgun and slammed the butt of the stock right into his maw - the sickening crunch and Bowser's gravelly laughs turning into whimpers of pain didn't help none either.

"Enough out of you. Had to deal with you for weeks now..." He bent down and looked up to his eye level. "But now I'm stuck with two of you, awaiting for Master's big plan to come together. I do not see why we must wait when paradise is so close."

Bowser coughed and reeled from the pain, but eventually he managed to look up to Larry with a grin again. "These idiots think their almighty star is coming back when you guys get the three artifacts together. I ask them why they just don't get it themselves since they know where they all are, I get beaten for it. Too many questions, not enough answers."

"We would tell you but you're just annoying."

"You see Larry? Charming folk."

Larry simply shook his head.

The cultist stood up and holstered his weapon around his shoulder. "You two sit quietly here. I'm going to let Master Ito know that you're awake." When the door slammed shut, Larry let out a deep breath and looked over to the man sitting across from him in the corner, all tied up and looking beaten.

"So Larry... how does it feel to be one of the lucky few to not get shot in the face and instead bought here to their wonderful living quarters?"

"I think I'd rather get shot in the face."

Bowser chuckled. It was a tone that made Larry uncomfortable, if only because of the emotional whiplash he was getting from him.

"How long have you been here anyway?" He asked.

"Since the fine folks here paid me a visit after the Bank & Trust heist you guys pulled. All part of their plans, of course."

"I thought they killed people who got in their way. That's how it always had been, at least from what I'd heard..."

"We're both exceptions to that."

Larry wriggled his hands - they were getting sore from the rope. "You didn't answer me earlier though - who is Ito? Master Ito?"

"Nothing you probably don't already know about. The one who runs this whole operation in the name of the Dark Lord himself, passed down to him after the old master passed away."

Nope. This was all news to Larry.

"Mushroom Kingdom kid, dealt with him for a while."

"In what?"

"Quite a bit, I assure you Lawrence." The door creaked open and in stepped Ito, hands folded over one another like a priest. "Nothing that I hope Bowser here could potentially tell you about."

"No sir. Wasn't going to tell him anything." Bowser shook his head and looked away, his body started to suddenly wrack with shivers. Larry noted for a brief second at this before he felt a very uncomfortable gentle hand cup his cheek and pulled him up - he stared into Ito's eyes, seeing nothing but the two colours swirling in his vision. But he knew behind that beauty was a man that was beyond anything except hell itself.

A small chuckle rolled off his tongue like butter. "I hope I hadn't hurt you too hard. But it was necessary to ensure that your friend wouldn't do anything harsh."

Larry's eyes narrowed and looked away. "Fucking Roy..."

"Ah... Roy. That is his name? I wouldn't know. I haven't kept tabs on anyone except yourself and Chief Ludwig," He let go finally. "Not a good friend though, was he? Leaving you like that out in the snow. Not jumping to your defense, not saving you from death... but I suppose you'd know how that feels."

All that he could do was look over to Bowser, his heart pounding in his chest. Shit... Bowser didn't know, did he? He didn't know that he had set them all up from the start.

Bowser noticed though. "I'd known for a while."

"You... you knew?" He breathed out, feeling everything that he knew up until this point start to jumble itself all over again.

"I was a high ranking official of the Darklands Kingdom. You don't think I haven't seen what goes on behind closed doors?"

Larry felt his scarf, still wrapped around his neck, pulled up. It bought his face closer to Ito who had a tight grip now. "Indeed. It pays to have sources. I'm sure a man of your standing would know how important that sort of information is."

"I don't know what you're talking about." Larry mumbled in response, looking away. "I didn't do anything."

Niko laughed and let go. "Liar. Was he always a liar, Bowser?" He turned to him.

"We're all liars in some way Ito. I'm not going to judge him for what he did. I understand why he did it."

Larry was trying to comprehend Bowser's thought process during all this. Why was he being like this? By all accounts he should be livid that all that work they did together in the past was all for naught. He should have been suspicious when they pulled a random bank job without any input from him. But then, when he took a breath and thought about it, it made sense.

They both had family to look out for and care about.

"But," Larry said. "You still knew. Even when you dragged us all back together again you knew I was a traitor... what gives, Bowser?"

Ito laughed and swept in behind Bowser, his cloak whipping in the air like a graceful ballerina. "Tut tut, are you really going to spoil your big plan right away?"

"What, that I wanted some dumb trinkets?"

"Dumb trinkets? Please," He pinched his cheek. "Au contraire Bowser-san, these are the vital components of our following. To have them back in our hands again will be a great service to us all and we only have you and the Koopaling gang to thank for this. Right now, the Chief and his friends should be in Snowblast Peaks retrieving the final one. I know they intend to destroy it or hand it over to the Royal Knights so... well, let's just say," He rested his chin in between his fingers, giving the two a thoughtful but knowing look. "You're the motivation, so to speak."

"Why would they care? They think we're both dead. They're just going to destroy all three right there."

Niko looked indignant. "Please, we're not that unprepared. There's a little surprise awaiting for them when they find it. Believe me, once they know you're both alive they won't dare to do anything."

Larry breathed in sharply at this. This wasn't good news.

"Anyway, that's just something to ponder about while I await their next move. I hope I haven't spoiled everything too much. It's, how you say, dramatic irony?" He shrugged. "English was my never strong suit. Adieu, Lawrence and Bowser."

The door slammed shut in front of them, the room reverberating with a loud echo. Larry blinked and looked around, trying to take in what he had just experienced - being told the evil plan to him like a cheesy movie villain to himself and his boss and only able to wait and let his friends be walked into a trap.

Bowser however just chuckled and flexed his fingers under the binding of the ropes. "Isn't Niko just a charming fellow?"

* * *

 _LOCATION: Neo City Police Department, Neo City, Darklands Kingdom_

 _TIME: Earlier that day..._

The door to Henry's office burst open - Henry noted that this was becoming a running trend with both Toadogan and Lucas entering and exiting his office at unusually high rates of speed. Today, it was the Investigator.

"Detective Nishimura! You won't believe what has just happened!"

Henry looked up - the stout Toad was waving a case file in his hand, which was ceremoniously dumped onto his desk. "HQ called in and just sent us these files, the Toad City Police Department has been victim of a cyber breach!" He sat down and flicked it open, a pile of reports and black-and-white photos taken from CCTV all around the police station. Junior, no stranger to sometimes peering over the shoulders of the two officers, looked over after he got bored of reading again.

"No disrespect Investigator, but how is this relevant to the cult?" Henry asked.

"Ah ah, see! Sutaoda members disguised as technicians went in and stole some information on the servers there!" Toadogan explained. "They received an anonymous tip that there was a potential breach of security in the server area. It was investigated and lo and behold, strange server activity had been spotted in the logs! The Chief there was asked why he had accessed Royal Knights information at this time without alerting us and, I trust that this doesn't leave the room by-the-by, he explained that he hadn't logged any activity on there. His account was spotted accessing private information on the locations of the third artifact!"

Henry rubbed his chin at this and began to think - two of them were now in possession of Chief Ludwig most likely and the third one was now being hunted by the cult.

"I'd be remiss to ask, but where is the third one?"

The Investigator's mustache twitched, as if he was suddenly thrown off by the question, and wondered if he should tell his partner. But it was all right there on the file and they had to work together on this so there was no point in holding back. "It was moved from the Sand Kingdom to the Snowy Kingdom, a small area of ancient ruins called Snowblast Peaks. It would be prudent to believe that the cult was looking for the last one."

"It makes sense... alright, shit," Henry swore under his breath before getting up. "Okay, I'm going to go to the Chief about this. Can you look over the files some more?"

"Of course, Detective."

Once Henry had left the office, Junior had found enough courage to wonder over, plainly curious about the robbery. The cult had broken into a police station? How the heck did they do that? They were really organized, that was for sure... wait a sec.

One of the black-and-white pictures stared back up at him. He could recognize the stature of the two beings in the photo anywhere.

Morton and Iggy?! What the hell were they doing there?!

Toadogan had noticed him staring. "Recognize those fellows, young Bowser?"

Quickly, Junior shook his head. "No. Never seen them before in my life." He stepped back, immediately spooked by what he had just saw. At least the gang was alive and kicking again, but why the hell had they broken into a police station to steal the location of the third artifact? Unless... what were they planning?

He wondered back to the couch nearby and picked up his novel, trying to get his mind off that. But it was obvious there was a tension in his body that was renewed with this information. Toadogan couldn't know though, neither could Henry or Lucas. He liked them, in all honesty, but

"Bowser?"

Junior looked up wearily from his novel - Toadogan was gone. "Yeah, Henry?"

The detective smiled and slid some car keys out from under his sleeve - they were the keys to Iggy's car. "I just got the confirmation from higher up; you're free to go home now. The crime scene has been cleaned and we feel that you're safe again. Cult activity has moved from the Darklands to the Mushroom Kingdom. So... you don't have to hang around anymore, if you want."

"Just like that?" Junior asked.

"Just like that." Henry replied, handing the keys over. The young man took them, looking unsure still. He hadn't even thought about going back home for a while. He wondered if he was still ready to step back into the house where his father had died... no, he hadn't died. They hadn't found a body. That meant something, he told himself over and over again.

"Okay," He nodded. "Thank... thank you Henry- I mean, Detective."

Henry chuckled. "Henry. It's always been Henry. Detective is too formal for how long we've known each other. So if you don't mind me asking, what are you going to do now?"

"I don't know. Might just go home, figure out what to do with everything... I guess."

"It's hard. I can't imagine how you feel, but you have friends in myself, Lucas and Toadogan."

Junior allowed himself a small laugh as well, which seemed to melt the tension away just for a split second. "I don't think both of them care about me very much."

"Lucas is a tough customer and Toadogan is... different, but they do care. You need only call us if you get into trouble."

"Thanks... I really mean it, Henry. Thank you. It means a lot that you've stuck by me through all this."

"And you too, Bowser," Henry replied. "I know tagging along and not doing much all day was boring and hearing a lot of things about your father's death and the cult was rough, but you made it through and helped us in our investigation. You remember what I said when I first met you? I'll take care of you."

Junior wasn't hesitant to admit that he had made good on that promise and more.

"Yeah..." He said. "I guess... I guess I'll be going then."

"That's fine. Your car is down in the parking lot. I can walk you down there if you want?" Henry offered, but he understood when Junior said no. He needed to be alone and to ponder his thoughts and future, after all. That was so adult and mature of him. "In that case then," He gave a small two fingered salute. "Good luck and take care."

"You too." Junior only gave an awkward wave before leaving the office, keys in hand. He never was really good at goodbyes.

The hustle and bustle of the police station took over his senses as he stepped out into the main office area, looking over at all the semi-familiar faces he grew to at least observe over the past week or so. They were just folks doing their jobs and doing it the ways they knew how. Could he fault them for that? Not really, even knowing that if they knew the truth they wouldn't hesitate in arresting him. He pondered over the fact that he had essentially lied to them about himself. It was crazy how long he'd managed to keep it up.

He wondered if Larry would be proud of him... he always seemed like the kind of person who would reward subtlety and quietness.

He missed him. Hell, he missed everyone. Was everyone still alive? Well... Morton and Iggy were, that was for damn sure.

Shit... if only he had his phone, he could call them (or attempt to). What the hell could he do except just stand around at home and assume that they were all dead? He stepped into the elevator with a few other officers, not being paid any particular attention to. It was just another day for them, and they were worrying about all the investigators running around interrupting their work. No time for a young man such as himself.

Humidity hit Junior as he stepped out into the underground garage - he could hear the rain clear as day outside, but it was decidedly warm this time round. A comfortable kind of warm that he could bathe himself in if he allowed himself the time.

True to Henry's word, the car was there waiting for him. He hadn't seen it around when he and Henry had come back and forth from their time at the station, but there it was in all it's rusted up glory. How Iggy ever bothered himself to drive around in it was anyone's guess, but Junior supposed that he wasn't used to anything that went below a minimum price value. He jumped in and started the ignition - it rolled over once, but the second time was thankfully the charm.

The drive out of the city was uneventful as well. He just watched the city in the daylight get further away from him, the Bank & Trust skyscraper standing tall amongst the skyline as it called out to him. It reminded him of the heist... it felt so long ago. It probably was long ago.

He forced himself to blink and take a deep breath. Why was he so nervous to go home? He should be happy to.

The Koopa Estate was there all waiting for him. The garden had fallen to the wayside, a bit dishevelled with branches and leaves poking out of the hedges. No one had been here for a while. But he pulled up to the front door, half-expecting someone to come out and take the car to the garage, but no one was there.

Right, the house had been opened just now. No one was going to show up today, probably. He supposed as he stepped out into the rain that he wasn't going to be here long anyway. If those idiots who robbed the police station were heading towards the third artefact he wasn't going to stand by and let it happen. He was going to catch up with his friends and have a long talk with them.

He almost burst through the front door and completely ignored the stillness of the foyer. What was once home was now so eerie and quiet that it made him feel so weird and uncomfortable. After all, even if his father hadn't potentially died, there was the fact that someone did die here.

He hated death. That was a given, most people hated it too. The gang certainly did. Always emphasizing going for knock-outs instead of kills... that somehow made them more heroic, even though they did illegal things. Heaving a sigh and trying to get his mind off the more philosophical topics of morality, Junior made a beeline straight upstairs to his bedroom. No time to think about things now. He had a mission to carry out.

It was crazy, it was dumb, it could get him killed, but he was willing to take that chance.

Winter wear, weapons, cash, anything that he thought could be useful for the journey. Whatever would help, he'd stow it in a bag that he always had laying around.

Junior couldn't help but grimace when he pulled out his Pinrita pistol - classic, reliable and always handy for self-defense... but it was still a weapon. Thankfully he'd never had to use it though until potentially today or tomorrow. He ejected the magazine and counted his ammo - a full magazine still. Everything about it and the weapon itself seemed to be in good condition, so he slid it back in, wracked the slide and stowed it away safely. A few extra magazines wouldn't hurt either.

Feeling confident now, Junior stood up and looked at himself in the mirror - he was ready to head for the snow. Not somewhere that he was looking forward to, but if he could not freeze to death that would be a solid plus. Smoothing his hair and grabbing his bag, he ran downstairs and was about to burst out the front door until he remembered; had to leave a letter for the security so they don't wonder why the house was still empty.

Grabbing a piece of paper and a pen, Junior began scribbling down a small note that explained just enough for no one to worry. When he finished, right on an unexpected cue, the house phone rang.

He froze - should he answer it? Who the heck was calling the house? No one knew that he or anyone would be home.

Was it... no, it couldn't be? Could it?

He had to know. He'd regret it, but he had to know.

He picked it up. "... Hello?"

"Bowser, Henry here."

Junior felt himself go cold again. "Oh, hey Henry. What's up?"

"Just wanted to ring you because..." The detective paused, as if he was thinking about something. "Because... hm, well I'll get to the point. Bowser, why are you in possession of a felon's vehicle?"

... Fuck.

When Junior couldn't get a word out from shock, Henry continued. "The car is registered to one Iggy Koopa, who was originally wanted for connections to underground gangs and now for trespassing and burglary of information from the Toad City Police Department. He was one of the suspects identified from the photos we have on file."

"I-I... shit. How long have you known, Henry?"

Henry chuckled. "Long enough. I ran a cross-check on the plates shortly after I took you in and I recognized Iggy in the surveillance and compared what we had on file."

"You didn't tell anyone?"

"Not really, no."

"Why?"

"Honestly? It was pragmatism. You didn't know that I knew. If I kept you close by, you might have been able to give any information. Sadly to say, that didn't help much. You didn't give me much on your connections to a member of the Koopaling Gang after all."

He looked outside one of the windows, expecting some cops to be hiding in the garden now. "Why are you telling me this, Henry? Just to stall me?"

"No. It's just... I had a feeling about this and I hoped I could catch you, but you saw the case files. Toadogan told me. The gang is there at Snowblast Peaks. What are you intending to do?"

Junior breathed in. "I don't know. Go after them, find out what connection they have to this whole thing. I have a feeling if they're not involved in the cult already, they're going to soon enough. I want to... shit, I want to catch up with them. I need to find out what happened to Dad."

"Yeah... I understand, Bowser. Look... what I did was illegal. If anyone knew that I was deliberately withholding information I would be suspended from the force. I guess... if the gang is at Snowblast, then there's a chance that the Chief will be there too. Chief Ludwig. After all, his second-in-command testified to him leaving with two members of the gang. That being said, I could be wrong. I'm just asking you Bowser, will you let me journey with you over to Snowblast Peaks?"

That made him pause. "What?"

"Bowser, you know we're getting nowhere with this investigation. The cult is moving too damn fast and it's hard to keep a lead on anything because we're not the main focus of them. I know Chief Ludwig is an innocent man, at least he's certainly not treasonous like the Mushroom Kingdom has decided him as. I can't tell Toadogan or Lucas, they will just send the calvary over there. I have no idea what the gang is planning..."

"Me neither..."

"... But I'm willing to go over there if you'll let me. Besides... I feel that I owe it to you for helping me."

Huh? "Helping you with what?"

"A... a lot of things. You've been a friend to me and I appreciate that. What you've done with the gang doesn't matter to me. I just want this whole damn thing close and shut once and for all."

Leave it up to the detective to drop a bombshell like that on him. Junior closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose, sighing into the phone. What should he do? He took a chance with Henry when they first met and it had turned out well. Would lightning strike the same place twice in this aspect?

He liked Henry. He liked him a lot. There was no denying the fact that being under his wing had helped him through his own grief in that regard. The feeling seemed to be mutual.

"Where do you want me to pick you up then?"

"At my apartment. Give me some time to get home and prepare then," The detective sounded relieved. "Thank you Bowser."

"You know you could lose your job if this doesn't work out... or get killed."

"Hey..." Henry laughed, his tone more bright. "At least no one can say I'm not dedicated to the cause."

* * *

"This is it..."

 _LOCATION: Ancient Ruins, Snowblast Peaks, Snowy Kingdom_

 _TIME: 2:12AM_

Even though it was the dead of night, the storm had fallen to the wayside on the drive over and the moon was out in full display. It cast a nice glow over their surroundings and gave view to the spectacular ice canyon that they had just pulled up to. It was something out of a movie with really good special effects, it almost gave Ludwig the shivers. Never in a million years did he think he'd leave the urban jungle and come to this nature made mammoth.

A blue hue radiated from the entrance, the ice sparkling and shimmering as it dug down into the earth, begging to be explored to anyone prepared enough to brave the cold.

Well... there was a catch.

"What the hell...?" He murmured as he parked the van nearby. There was a lantern on one of the rocks next to the entrance. No... were they too late?

"Are they here already?" Roy asked, looking over his shoulder.

Morton wrinkled his nose in thought. "Maybe. We should be careful anyway." His weapon sat snugly in his coat pocket, which he pulled out gingerly. Everyone in the back had also began to prepare themselves for an inevitable battle that lay ahead. Who needs a smooth plan for once, anyway? Wendy opened the back door and allowed Lemmy, Iggy and Roy to jump out before following suit.

"Wait a sec," Roy questioned, stopping Iggy. "You're coming with us too?"

Iggy looked at him like it was the most stupid question he'd ever asked. "Of course. I'm not staying back."

"But you got a bad-"

"Oh shut the fuck up Roy," Morton had rounded the van, throwing his arms up. "You're acting concerned for him now all of a sudden? Just shut up and actually follow our lead, okay?"

Roy scowled and fell silent.

"Oh stars above it is freezing!" Wendy complained, being the first to follow Ludwig into the entrance. "How can anyone survive living here?!"

No one could argue that. The temperature was way below what they would consider to be comfortable in any measure. Morton was the last of the group, grabbing the lantern on their way in just in case they needed to see their way through. It was bright outside but how much of that light was going to get through the glaciers?

The winding ice tunnels only lead them down one path. Ludwig in front, Wendy and Lemmy behind followed by Roy and Morton. They fell into a tense silence all of them pulling out the weapons given to them by the Koopa Bros. It was old hardware saved for a rainy day, they said, but they figured it would be much more helpful to them since they pretty much destroyed everything they had. Ludwig wasn't going to argue whether it was a good idea or not - it was a good idea. At the very least it had bought them some time.

"Morton," He ushered him over. "Bring that light up here. Everything's opening up."

"Sure thing."

The light cut through the darkness, the walls opening up around them and splitting into a big cavern. The only light was the small glow of the ice crystals above and the lantern that Morton was holding above his head. The group stopped and took in their surroundings. Simply put, they allowed themselves to be awe-struck just for a moment.

"Wow." Lemmy breathed, small puffs of steam coming from his nose and mouth. The cold wasn't bothering him much now.

"I can't believe those eggheads would hide something in here. How stupid are they?" Roy grouched from behind, to which Ludwig replied with a bemused hum.

"They're the top security in protecting the Mushroom Kingdom's interests and yet they've been played around by a cult. I can't disagree with you."

Iggy pointed to their right - a walkway was nearby. "I guess we go this way then?" He suggested, tilting his head at it. It was definitely man-made, and a hasty job too. When the lantern was bought over for a better look, he noted the tools laying about. "... How long have they been here for?"

"I don't know," Ludwig replied, looking weary now. "But we're going in the right direction. Keep an eye out if you see any of them."

The group continued over the walkway and minding the precarious heights they were moving up on now. Lemmy kicked a bit of snow up a particularly steep incline and shivered relentlessly - would Larry have enjoyed this? Probably not. He'd probably be as irritated as Roy was being at the moment.

Iggy patted his shoulder. "Hey Lem, you okay? You look awful."

"I-I'm fine Iggy. T-thanks f-for asking..." He huffed into his hands to give them some warmth. Not even the wool gloves he had on was helping much with keeping the cold away from his fingers. "I-I wish I b-bought more clothes though."

He was surprised when he felt an extra layer of clothes suddenly fall onto his person - he looked up and Iggy was there with one less jacket on.

"It's okay. I'll deal with it." Was the reply. Despite the shivers now wracking from the lanky male, Iggy still pressed on (wobbling up like a drunken man occasionally).

"Thanks..."

"Shh!"

Ludwig had his gun out. His hair was fluttering in the wind that was now coming down from this long hallway.

"I think I heard something. Be quiet. Weapons out."

His heart pounded in his chest and he tried to steady his breathing as much as he could. He didn't want to give any signs that anyone was here or let them slip out with the last artefact. They had to have the upper hand in this for once. He dared to peak around the corner and let himself exhale - there was only one way in and out of the ice hallway and there was nothing that suggested anyone else was there. What was going on? Was he going mad?

Sighing, he holstered his weapon and pinched the bridge of his nose. They were in here for maybe half-an-hour and already the cold was driving him nuts. That, and he was tired as all hell.

Wendy walked by with the lantern in her hand. "I'll take point."

The wind that blew past them didn't help the temperature situation too much. Even with two jackets on, Lemmy still found it unbearable. He could only wonder how the others were coping with it so much.

"Why is it so windy down here?"

"T-there's probably an opening to the outside somewhere," Ludwig suggested. "So far we've only gone the one way..."

The caverns were a maze - while they did find the source of the wind blowing through, it had only lead to more multi-level labyrinth ice caverns that seemed to span on forever. Which one was it? Where do they go? No... they had to press on. They couldn't give up yet. For Larry and for Bowser and his son.

The group jumped down to the first floor. Immediately, a glow in the distance before them caught their eye.

Another lantern.

Seeing as how there was no other option but to follow the light, Wendy led the crew and illuminated as much as possible.

"Is there really no one here?"

"There has to be," Morton argued. "Who else is putting these lights down here? The lantern ghost?"

Iggy weakly laughed, trying to brighten the mood. "A lantern ghost sounds awesome."

It didn't really work.

The next one was sitting in the corner, but it perfectly illuminated the hallway that spiraled up to the next floor. A pattern that would repeat itself for the next few floors, the group having their weapons out and ready despite jumping at every little creak and groan that the caverns gave. The leader swapped every so often as the cold made holding a lantern for long periods of time very strenuous. Lemmy was holding the lantern when they reached the top floor of the caverns, trying his best not to slip on the ice beneath his feet.

The lantern at the top floor only showed what looked to be another pitch black hallway. But when Lemmy stepped forward into it, he wasn't paying attention to his footing.

Everything suddenly went dark as he gave a yelp of surprise and fell down the very steep hill, the light bouncing and crashing on the walls as he rolled down for what felt a very long time. Eventually it came to a stop, a loud **'POMF'** echoing through the hallway.

"Shit, Lemmy!" Morton exclaimed, grabbing the second lantern. "Are you okay?!"

A groan of pain was all they got as a reply. Without hesitation, Iggy took the lamp and actually watched the floor - it was practically a vertical drop into nothingness, but nothing he couldn't handle (even if his knee was screaming at him and threatening to snap off like a weak twig).

Lemmy was there, laying on his side and still moving, the lantern that he had snuffed out completely by his side.

"Lemmy?" Iggy asked, the group taking up the rear. "Hey, are you okay?"

The smaller male hoisted himself up, blinking from the light and when he realised what had just happened, looked very annoyed (and sporting an impressive bump on his forehead and bruising around his eye).

"I hate this cavern."

Roy chuckled. "At least there's plenty of ice to do first aid with."

"Guys," Ludwig had gone past them once they confirmed that Lemmy was okay and could walk. "Look, over there."

He was pointing at a room with a strange glow to it.

They were close. Ludwig knew. His intuition was telling him so.

Walking towards the light and ducking under some ice crystals hanging from the ceiling, the group finally entered a room. It was man made this time. A small circular room with lanterns lining all around, giving the entire place a warm ethereal glow to it.

On an altar straight in the middle was the third artefact, just like the others, glowing brilliantly and inscribed with the ancient text that could be found on the other two.

"Yes... yes! This is it!" Ludwig had almost picked it up.

"Don't! It could be a trap!" Wendy stopped him, looking around the room. If there were any signs of any traps, they couldn't see it. Still, she gave him that look - be careful. He understood, but he was ready to end this already and get out of here.

He picked it up. There was a letter attached to it, a bit frozen, but nothing some persuading didn't fix.

'Greetings, Koopaling Gang,

You have found the last artefact. For that, I congratulate you on your achievement. However whatever you plan to do with them I would suggest that you hold off on that. Of course we recognize how far you've come with this endeavor and what you aim to achieve, but you all know that everything has to come at a cost. You will find enclosed in this letter two photos that I believe would persuade all of you to consider your choices.

Do not worry, they are alive. But if you wish to continue seeing them alive, you will meet us at our commune. I believe Chief Ludwig is familiar with it. Why don't you ask him and meet us at your own time. If we spot anyone else arriving than just you, we will not hesitate to kill them and then you.

Kind regards and by the order of the Dark Lord themself,

Niko Ito'

He felt his breath stuttered as he shook the envelope and two photos fell out. No... no way.

One of them was of Bowser through a jail cell door and the other was of Larry tied and bound in the snow. This was... this was taken no more than a few hours ago. How far ahead were these people?!

He almost wanted to throw up at the sight of the two pictures, everything that he knew about everything was wrong. How could he be so naive through all of this?!

"Holy shit..." Morton breathed, looking over the pictures and showing these to the rest. "I can't believe it. They're both still alive."

Roy scratched his chin. "I didn't kill him then... huh."

It was so obvious now - they wanted a trade. Two hostages for the three artefacts. These damn fucking pieces of junk that they spent so much time trying to find!

His nails scratched across the ice wall in frustration. "I can't believe it!"

"Do you trust them, Ludwig?" Iggy asked, who recoiled back when Ludwig blew up at him with an angry tone.

"Of course not! Why would I?! They could be dead for all we know and we could be walking into a trap!"

"But what if it isn't, Chief?" Wendy argued. "What if they are alive? Do we want to take that chance?"

"I agree," Morton joined in - he paused for a moment when he saw Ludwig fish out the remaining two artefacts from under his coat. "I mean... they've gotten this far over us. And besides, if there's a chance that Larry is alive at least, I want to go after him."

The Chief wanted to argue, but he had barely opened his mouth when he saw the rest of the group nodding (except Roy, who was standing in the back with his arms folded and looking away, probably in thought). Could be really disappoint his former friends even more? They were career criminals, the lot of them, and they were still technically outlaws... well, he was too now. There was no going back on this, it seemed.

He exhaled slowly with the bitter air entering and exiting his lungs and he simply put the artefacts away.

"Okay," He conceded. "Let's do this. Let's get these two back."

The trek back was a little more relaxed. They let guard down, knowing that there wasn't anything that could harm them apart from the canyon itself. After a gargantuan effort expended in getting up the steep incline that Lemmy had fallen down, the group backtracked their way through the system all the way back to the entrance.

They stepped outside into the snow, glad to finally breathe some fresh air, when a rumbling in the distance made Ludwig stop.

"What?" Lemmy asked - he had an ice pack from one of the first aid kits pressed against his eye.

"Someone's coming."

Roy sighed and pulled out his gun. "Fuck, not again..."

They watched with trepidation as the rumbling revealed the headlights of a car rolling into the area. All of their pistols were up despite the lights of the car blinding them with piercing yellow colours. It rumbled to a stop a few feet away from the van.

"Wait a second," Iggy murmured, his gun lowering slightly. "That's my car!"

Ludwig stopped him. "Iggy, don't."

"Hey guys!" A familiar voice called out to them - they all lowered their guns (sans Ludwig) because they all recognized what that voice belonged to.

"Junior!" Iggy exclaimed - the tall and stocky figure of the nineteen year old turned from a shadow into an exhausted, if not grinning, person. He had thrown his arms out, which was good, because Iggy had caught him in a tight grip hug.

He simply laughed and patted him. "Hey Iggy- w-woah there, calm down."

"What the hell happened? We thought you were dead!" He thought that he had killed him.

"No, I've been just fine! In fact, it's all thanks to- Henry? What are you doing?"

It was then they noticed that he wasn't alone - another figure, barely taller than Junior, ambled towards them with his gun raised.

"They're them?"

"Of course they are, Henry."

He looked weary at first, but when he recognized Ludwig, he put the gun down and sighed in relief. "Chief Ludwig! I'm so glad you're alive!" He paused for a moment, realizing that the Chief probably wouldn't know who he was or didn't remember. "Oh, I'm Detective Nishimura. Henry. From the homicide department."

Ludwig simply nodded - he didn't recall him, but the badge he had displayed out along with his pistol was proper police procedure, so he was part of the force. "Detective, Junior, what are you both doing here? How did you even find us anyway?"

The pair filled the gang in on everything - the situation with the crime scene at Bowser's manor, the interrogation of Niko's father, the Chief being labelled a traitor, the Royal Knights collaborating with the Neo City Police Department to help them with finding him and the robbery that had been reported earlier that evening. The gang, in turn, did their bit as well and explained everything.

"Yes, we did rob the Toad City Police Department," Ludwig admitted. "Our goal was to attain all three artefacts and destroy them, but we have a problem with that now..."

"What's that?"

Junior was surprised to have two photos shoved into his hands. Confusion had turned to shock when he saw the contents. "What... you mean-?"

"Your dad ain't dead, son," Roy said. "Turns out the homicide was just a kidnapping, if we're to believe them anyway."

"And L-Larry?"

"As far as we know, same thing."

He tried to understand, which came out as furious blinking. "What the... how the hell did Larry get captured?"

"Roy."

"Ain't anything to get riled up about," Roy defended now. "He's alive and we can save him."

"The cult had followed us here and, according to Roy, he had some unfinished business to deal with Larry... but that's another story," Morton patted him on the shoulder, but then got a weird expression - he plucked Larry's photo from out of Junior's hand and studied it. "Roy... when did this happen?"

Roy shrugged and folded his arms. "I dunno. Couple of hours ago, maybe? Why?"

"How the hell did they set this up so quickly then...?"

The entire group froze in the midst of the storm, just realizing what they had done, and turned towards the entrance to the cave again.

Inside the ice canyon where the wind blew through in flowing strands and high pitched sounds, they all heard the same shrieking laughter come out from within.

They were always one step ahead of them.

* * *

 _A/N: Longest chapter I think I've written on this (which isn't much considering the efforts more talented writers go to), and I like it even if it is a product of sleepiness, sickness and general exhaustion. Everyone's back together and now they need to finish this once and for all._

 _To answer a particular review that was left, yes I pretty much straight up took events / story beats from GTA5 that resonated with me quite a bit. I'd always been a fan of how Rockstar writes their environments and characters and being that GTA5 was such a big step up for me when I first played it, I'd always wanted to steal/pay homage to those particular scenes. There are also several inspirations from different video games and movies that I took for this but the main influence in this is obviously GTA5._

 _We're on the homestretch in terms of this story, but I cannot express how grateful I am to everyone for sticking by this, reading this and giving their support. Thank you so much and have an awesome day!_


	16. A Little R&R

_A/N: I'm not going to lie, this is a filler chapter, full stop. Nothing happens here except everyone just suffers and worries about the future._

 **CHAPTER 16 - A Little R &R**

* * *

 _LOCATION: Ashwood Estates, Neo City, Darklands Kingdom_

 _TIME: 12:01PM_

"Feels so long ago since I've been back here..." Iggy said to himself as they approached the front door of the mansion. For once, a light drizzle had greeted them after another long road trip. Everyone was fine with that. It was better than the freezing cold of the snow that had been their life for the past night. Their weary eyes and heavy bodies moved slowly, their exhaustion evident on their faces. When was this going to be over? Iggy hoped very soon, but they all knew there was one big fight left in them before they could go back to normal. Well... at least as normal as things could be.

He hoisted the bag over his shoulder as he and Ludwig made their way up to the front door. His car was sitting in the driveway so that meant that Junior and Henry had arrived first.

Ludwig knocked on the door before allowing himself to lean against the wall and slouch. "I don't know what we're going to do," He admitted quietly. He ran a hand through his knotted and unkempt cerulean hair. "I can't hand over the artifacts. We've come so far and done everything we could. But we can't let them die."

"You know what we'll all say, Chief, but we'll figure it out."

Ludwig gave him a smile in reply. "Yes, we will."

The front door opened. Iggy's face brightened up when he saw who it was - it wasn't Junior or Henry.

"Hey Rom," He greeted. "Long time no see!"

The security guard standing there recognized him back. "Hey Ignatius!" He tipped the brim of his cap with a thumb back. "Long time no see indeed. Ain't seen you around here forever."

"Still working, huh?"

Rom shrugged and let the pair in. "I was one of the lucky few who didn't get shot so I didn't have an excuse," He chuckled. "The boss bought me up to speed on things but I thought there was more."

"There is," Ludwig assured him. "We're all just tired. Ludwig. Chief Ludwig... or should I say, ex-Chief."

"I can see that," They shook hands. "Romulus. I'm one of the security detail for Bowser."

Ludwig folded his arms. "I see you and Ignatius are familiar with one another."

"Yeah we got to know each other after Bowser bailed him out of hospital. Hanged around for a bit, didn't ya?"

Iggy, after getting over having his full name said out loud twice in one conversation, nodded. "Yep. This place became something of a second home to me until I decided to leave."

"And live on the streets."

"Where else could I go?" He argued. "I couldn't exactly buy a place, I'm still wanted as a criminal."

"After how many years? Isn't there like. a statute or something like that?"

Ludwig shook his head. "Not for cyber crime and accomplice to robbery, at least in the Darklands."

"Well either way, glad to see you folks are okay," Rom looked serious for a moment. "By the way, don't bring up the whole 'shootout' thing to Junior. Put a pin on it at least until he's out of the room."

"Rom, it's fine," Junior appeared from behind him. "We've all had time to get through it and think about it so I wouldn't worry about it."

The guard nodded and grinned. "If you say so, sir."

"Living quarters for everyone good to go?"

"As best they can be, sure," He scratched the back of his head. "Quite a lot of people though."

"Seven of us slept in one motel room last night. I think we can handle it here better." Ludwig said.

"Fair enough. I'll go ahead and stand around and look pretty then," Rom waved at the three. "See you around folks. Hit me up if you need anything."

Junior downed the water bottle that he was holding. "You guys look like shit."

"We feel like shit." Iggy replied, rolling his shoulder. "I have no idea how long we drove for."

"Now you know how Larry and I felt when you sent us all over the place trying to find everyone."

He couldn't argue with that.

The doors behind them opened as Lemmy and Wendy walked in, followed by Roy and Morton dragging... wait, what was that? Junior only got a small glimpse before almost jumping out of his scales. "What the hell? Why do you guys have a cultist with you?!"

The hooded figure, bound in some old rope, looked up and around at where they were. They looked confused... at least, before they suddenly looked at Junior and began to laugh manically.

Roy growled and yanked them by the arm. "Shut up."

Ludwig had his hands out in a gesture to calm the young man down. "Look, after you and Henry left, we ran back into the caves and found this idiot hiding out. I know we said we'd follow you and, technically, we did."

"And what is your point?" Junior looked mightily unimpressed that they had bought a cultist straight back to his house.

Roy replied before Ludwig could. "Leverage. Just to make sure they don't do anything stupid when we rock up to their compound."

"We haven't decided anything yet Roy," Ludwig sighed. "I don't know why you're assuming plans already."

"We went through all the trouble of getting this nutcase and now you're getting cold feet? I'm not letting them run free."

"We're not going to do that. Just... for fuck sake, Roy, we're all tired and we can't do anything at the moment."

While the pair argued in the foyer, Junior looked over to the rest of the group. He was genuinely happy to see that everyone was safe and sound, relatively speaking. Aside from Lemmy's way too obvious injury that he insisted was perfectly fine and he just needed to rest, the only bad thing was that everyone was tired. Rightfully so as well.

"Hey guys," He spoke. "Argue all you want, but I've got living quarters set up for you. You know... actual beds."

The gang seemed to almost sigh with relief.

"I know it's like... 12PM but if you guys can't stay up, go ahead and fall asleep."

Morton nodded. "Good idea."

"What about Larry and Bowser though?" Lemmy asked. It was an important question and, besides, he wasn't really that tired. He could still go a few more hours.

"All in due time, Lemmington. But for now... we should rest. The past few days have been traumatizing for all of us, let's not kid ourselves," Ludwig turned to everyone. "I suggest we get as much rest as possible, clean ourselves up, having some food and drink and then we'll start laying out the best laid plan for this. Junior, can you show us to our rooms?"

Junior nodded. "Of course."

"What do you want me to do with this fucker?" Roy asked, still keeping a tight grip on their hostage.

"I'll take 'em," Rom offered, grabbing their other arm. "Get them out back, let this asshole sweat it out a little." Graciously, the guard opted to take them right out the front door again instead of stomping straight through the house, which was something that Junior appreciated. He wasn't quite ready to face another cultist just yet. The last time was a bit intense.

He lead the group upstairs, thoughts going through his mind - how should he be a good host? Should he ask if they wanted something to drink? He wasn't sure what to do. All that he knew was that everyone was dazed from needing to sleep. Maybe he could say anything and no one would really take any note of it.

"We've got a few guest rooms," He pointed to a few doors down the hall. "If you guys wanna figure out who gets what, you can all stay here as long as you want. I'm confident we're pretty safe here."

"For the time being." Ludwig said realistically. "We appreciate this, by the way."

Junior smiled. "I know you guys do. Just take whatever, get some rest, we'll figure things out when we get to that."

"Indeed we will," He and Lemmy took the first room. "Take care everyone."

Morton saluted and took the room across with Roy and Iggy. "Yeah, you too Chief."

The doors shut behind them, leaving only Wendy and Junior out in the hallway.

"You're not getting a room?" He asked her.

She shook her head. "No, not yet. Do you actually have a phone or something? I need to make a call."

Without hesitation, Junior pointed downstairs. "In the kitchen. I'll be downstairs if you need me." He walked awaay, leaving Wendy alone as she made her way to the kitchen and slowly tapped in Kat's number. She didn't want to know what the reaction was, but she had to let her know that she was okay.

She could handle a talking to.

* * *

 _A FEW HOURS LATER..._

He rolled around in the blankets, sharp pins of pain coursing through his eye and head. It was a rude wake-up call that almost made Lemmy scream in frustration as he stared at the ceiling. His insides felt gross and awful like a wave of nausea rolling through his system. It was weird - he should have been fine ages ago. He'd suffered worse than a bump on the head.

What was it called? A concussion? Maybe he was having one of those.

He rolled over and up, kicking the blankets out from under his feet as a light snore filled the room. Ludwig was resting on the couch across from him apparently in a deep sleep. Lucky him.

Lemmy only opted to put on some pants and a tank top before leaving the bedroom - he noted that it was orange outside. Evening... he'd only slept about five or six hours? Not enough, in his opinion. For once in his life he was actually craving sleep. He stumbled through the ornate hallway in a daze with his temples feeling like they were about to burst out of his skull.

"Easy there," A voice spoke from behind him as he descended the stairs. "Don't wanna hurt yourself again."

Lemmy growled and looked up - Roy was standing at the top. "Fuck off."

"What?" Roy looked offended. "What did I do?"

"Should have been you who fell down that chasm..."

He tried to ignore him, but it was hard when he noted the presence of him lumbering behind him like an annoying and particularly fat flea. The kitchen greeted him warmly though with its warm lights and immaculate clean white tiles. Immediately he went to opening every drawer and cupboard.

"Here," Roy deposited a glass on the counter. "I presume that's what you're looking for."

Lemmy looked at it, briefly surprised. "Y-yeah. Thanks..."

Roy shrugged and turned on the faucet, filling up his own glass. "Least I could do after last night. Know you're mad at me and all that... an' you should be. I didn't exactly help."

"It was a shock to know that he did that to us, but I'm not mad at him. I think I forgave him before I even knew." Lemmy mused as he took down as much water as he could, his headache already beginning to subside.

"I tell ya what though, you got a mean swing for a little guy."

Lemmy replied curtly. "It's as you said; I'm mad at you."

"Still?"

"It hasn't even been a day..."

That was a fair point, Roy conceded. The pair just sat there in silence and finished off the rest of their water. He tapped his own head. "How's that bump?"

"Hurts." Lemmy replied, going back for seconds. "Think the lantern took me out on the way down as well."

"Well you can always ask Junior for meds."

"Ask me for what?" Speak of the devil - Junior shambled into the kitchen, his hair showing suspicious signs of bed hair. He'd been napping too it seemed.

Roy put his glass away. "You got any pain meds for Lem? He took a fall last night and it's still giving him grief."

"Hm, let me see what I can find," He opened a particular drawer and pulled out a small bottle - it was just regular over-the-counter medication with what sounded like a few left when he shook it. He handed it over to Lemmy. "These should do the trick."

"If that don't work, you could always page Dr. Morton anyway."

Lemmy snorted at the comment before popping two of the pills.

"What are we doing for dinner? Any suggestions?"

"I'm no cook," Roy folded his arms, his purple eyes looking around the kitchen. "Could we order something?"

"Perhaps. What do you suggest though?"

Behind them, Lemmy shrugged when they looked at him. "I don't know," He said. "Pizza?"

"Pizza it is then," Junior picked up the kitchen phone. "What do you guys feel like?"

"Anything with a bit of zest in it. Something hot. Could do with that after that abominable snow trip." Roy said irritably.

As much as he hated to say it, for the time being, he would have to agree with Roy. "Yeah, get something hot," Lemmy nodded. "Just... anything to eat for the time being."

* * *

A cold wind was blowing through the garden as the sun slowly but surely disappeared from under them. The orange sky and the light sprinkling of rain that had peaked through was starting to pick up again - Henry sighed as he leaned against the railing of the backyard porch. He loved the area but damn, it wouldn't hurt to have settled a city somewhere further away from a volcano? He hummed to himself as he just stared at the rolling hills behind the backyard, mansions littered around on every square inch, the lights all starting to turn on as it started to become night time again. Another day over, but what would be for them tomorrow?

That was the question... Henry wondered what Mom and Dad would think about where he was now. Probably not happy... he forced the bitter air in his lungs out. They were never happy with what he did. They only cared about Sam, and she was gone. Why couldn't they just move on and stop comparing him to her? Let her fucking rest.

 _*RING RING*_

Henry almost jumped out of his scales. Damn phone! He swore under his breath as he looked at the screen - Lucas was calling him. Oh great, probably wondering where he was most likely. He sighed and answered.

"Hey."

"Henry, are you okay?" Lucas asked. "Haven't heard from you in almost a day. I know you said you had some investigating to do but..."

Henry sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Y-yeah... yeah, I know. I'm sorry Lucas, I'm fine. I'm just home I need some sleep."

"You gonna throw us a report or something?"

"I haven't found anything."

"Henry, you told me that you have to write a report regardless of whatever you do or don't find," Lucas paused, and his tone went a particular direction. "Henry, what's going on? You're not being yourself..."

The detective looked around to make sure that no one was with him, before turning back. "Look, I think I may be onto something but..." He bit his lip - he hated lying. "I need some time out on the field to investigate this a bit further." Well, maybe it was a bit of a truth. Just a little bit.

Lucas was silent for a moment, but he seemed to calm down. "Okay... okay, as long as we know you're fine. When do you think you can be back at the office? Superiors are getting a bit antsy at why you're not turning up to work all of a sudden."

"I've only been gone for a day, tell them to relax. Once I get something I promise I'll let you all know."

"Sure. Sure thing H."

Henry laughed. "Lucas, don't call me that. It makes me feel like we're in high school again."

"Don't you wish you were in high school again?"

Not really. "I'll see you later Lucas," He smiled. "Tell the Investigator that I'm out doing field work."

"That's bold of you to assume that he would care about you."

"They're not all bad Lucas. Keep your mind open."

"Ah ha, there's the Henry I know," Henry rolled his eyes. "Okay, I'll see you around brother."

"Yeah, you too Lucas. Take care."

"You too. Later."

He stowed his phone away. It was obvious that there was a bit of suspicion aroused, Lucas was never one to hide to his broad overall tone, but Henry had made the choice long ago. For Chief Ludwig.

And Bowser II, a stray thought entered his mind. The detective shook it away. Where did that come from?

"Detective." A voice greeted from behind him - the Chief was standing there, looking weary and tired, bags under his eyes and a shuffle that only screamed exhaustion. Exhausted from running, exhausted from hiding, exhausted from worrying. Henry stood up a bit taller in response, but that only earned a laugh from the older male. "We're not the military, Henry. Besides I'm not your boss anymore."

"Yet," He corrected him. "We'll figure this out."

Ludwig smiled and leaned against the railing. "How optimistic of you."

"I'm not optimistic sir, just a realist."

"Even realists have their moments of poor judgement. Believe me, I would know."

The wind blew through and between them as they watched the sunset.

"I don't even know what to do after this... no doubt they will put me in prison. Maybe the same with everyone else as well. I guess my influence has finally run dry."

"The cult, sir," Henry said. "The Sutaoda... how long have you known? How long have you all known?"

Ludwig paused, as if he was thinking of his next words. "It was... it was just myself. Myself, Shiramune and the Royal Knights. But... I think something happened along the way, something that we hadn't anticipated. It was a foolish move but we were all too blinded by our lust for justice. And that was when we made our second mistake..."

Henry tilted his head slowly. "Chief? What happened...?"

"Normally, I'd say that this is a need-to-know basis. But... screw it. We knew what the Sutaoda were up to, how they operated and what they did. We thought we could play it safe since they didn't seem much of a threat at the time, so we picked up someone after we caught him in the middle of a burglary. He had potential, which was why we gave him an ultimatum; go to prison or work for us as an undercover agent. He got us so much intel on the cult we were able to keep track of them for a while... but then he just disappeared."

"He died?"

Ludwig swallowed and ran his hand through his hair, not saying a word. He seemed to have gone pale, as if recalling the memory in his mind's eye was too extreme for him to handle. Henry looked away.

"Sorry..."

"It's not your fault, Detective. We just... we didn't think about it hard enough. We underestimated them and their influence."

Henry stared at this broken man standing beside him. It was such a stark contrast to the person that he had built up in his mind, this smart and savvy unstoppable force that commanded the police with justice, efficiency but also care and mercy for his soldiers.

Yet, here he was, brooding over his mistakes. Just like Henry himself.

"Don't worry though," Ludwig continued. "I have a plan though."

"You do?"

"Yes. I just need you with me on this though, Detective. I need everyone on it," The Chief placed his hand on the Detective's shoulder. "Are you going to back me up?"

"Of course, sir. No doubt about it."

Smiling again, the Chief patted him on the arm and turned back towards the house. "Good. We're going to get Larry and Bowser back, we're going to put this cult down once and for all and then we will live our lives again. I promise you they won't touch you or anyone else, even if I have to go to jail."

"You can't promise me that, Chief," Henry said. "Either way I'm still with you."

"Hey!" Roy's voice boomed out from the dining room. "Come and stuff your greasy mugs with pizza!"

Well... they couldn't say no to that. The future would have to wait for the time being.

* * *

 _LOCATION: The Sutaoda Compound, Unknown Whereabouts_

 _TIME: 7:10PM_

Larry never thought he'd found the day where he was finding the heat unbearable for him.

Yet, here he was, sitting in a dark dungeon with no one but his former boss sitting in the corner looked fragmented and useless. It was a weird and stark contrast to the man that he remembered seeing on the news, a big and imposing man who spoke like he cared for the kingdom he lived in all his life.

"So... how is the independence movement going?" He asked him wryly, sitting and throwing a rock against the dungeon wall.

Bowser grunted and rolled around in his makeshift bed. "People like Toadstool too much."

"With all the shit you do, I'm not surprised that no one follows you."

"I'd be careful if I were you, Lawrence."

Larry shrugged. He was indifferent to the threats now.

The crickets outside the window were starting to chirp louder and louder again - it was going to be another particularly hot night it seemed. "Where are we, anyway?" He asked, idly noting that he couldn't see snow outside the window (or the hole that constituted a window).

Bowser didn't answer.

There was silence for a moment before they both heard footsteps coming up to the door; while Larry had looked over his shoulder in curosity, Bowser hadn't budged an inch. He'd gone through the same song and dance after all.

"Dinner time." One of the cultists said, the flap underneath the cell door opening to reveal two paper plates of food shoved through. "Don't make too much noise and we might give you dessert as well."

"Ha ha ha, fuck you."

The chuckles of the guard echoing down the hall, Larry handed Bowser his share of food as they both sat on the bed. "I was expecting a lot worse if I can be brutally honest." He commented; the plate was just a small hill of mashed potato, looking like it had just been microwaved after sitting in the pantry for twenty years.

"If you're not a vegetarian then it's your worst nightmare," Bowser replied, idly shovelling a handful into his maw. " _But it keeps you going._ "

"You've been sitting in here for weeks, a month and you've been eating nothing but this?"

"No, they're usually nice and change it up a bit. Last week they gave me some lettuce. You can't say they don't care about making sure you eat your greens."

At least his sense of humour was on point.

"So," Larry spoke. "How long have you known these guys?"

"About a few years. I knew about them, but didn't really care much for them since they were just in the Mushroom Kingdom. We started doing business after they got me in contact with some good merchandise that I could make money off. A nice little side activity after you split the gang up."

"I'm not going to be made to feel guilty about that."

Bowser smiled. "Not judging here. If it were me and I'd have to make that call for Claudia and Junior, I would have done the same thing."

He doubted it - he was probably just happy that he hadn't been ratted out, Larry thought to himself.

"Poor kid... that poor fucking kid," Bowser mused. "He had to grow up without his mother... no child should ever go through not having two parents to rely on."

"Unless they're a bastard."

"Bad childhood, huh, Lawrence?"

Larry glowered at him. "None of your fucking business."

"Hey, nothing wrong with having shitty parents," The larger male chuckled. "A lot of people have had them. You're not special."

"I'm in my mid-30s, I don't need to think about my folks anymore so it's honestly none of your business if I want to talk about my mother or father. All I care about is Nick and making sure he has a good life. And he was having a good life until you came along and fucked it all up for me, so don't fucking lecture me about this, okay?"

"If you knew what I knew about the cult back then, you'd be chomping at the bits to accept my offer. I did you a favor."

The paper plate began to crush in-between Larry's hands. "If this was an actual plate, I would give you an extra set of horns you son-of-a-bitch."

"There's the Lawrence I remember," Bowser laughed, paying no attention to him right back. "Always angry, full of life, full of vigor. Where is the young man that I mentored alongside everyone else?"

He looked away, staring at the wall. "I didn't want Nick to be exposed to this life."

"So you went on the straight and narrow and tried to forget your past," Bowser chuckled and tossed the plate aside. "You know that never works."

"I know..."

Now that he thought about it, it made sense. Running away from everything and everyone didn't work because they had the power to drag him back in. What a humble and sobering thought. How dumb was he, really?

"I'm going to sleep." He muttered, even though there was still a faint bit of sunlight coming through the window. There was only one bed and he knew that Bowser would probably kill him if he tried to take it. So the comfortable stone floor was enough for him.

He only hoped that everyone else would be coming for him soon.

* * *

Ludwig rose from his seat and held out his hands to quieten everyone at the table. Their tired eyes and their full stomaches granted him the attention that he needed for the time being.

"Alright everyone, we're full of food and now we need to all sleep. Everyone get a proper nights sleep and we'll get up and start planning this thing for real."

That statement was the best thing they had heard in ages.


	17. Suspense

**CHAPTER 17 - Suspense**

* * *

 _LOCATION: Ashwood Estates, Neo City, Darklands Kingdom_

 _TIME: 8:21AM_

Ludwig sighed and sipped on his coffee as he stared out at the brilliant garden that the Bowser's had. Everything looked so frayed and dry around the edges. Little plant fragments falling off in little brown pieces. It felt like a fitting image not only to the Bowser's, but to himself and everyone else as well. The pit of uncertainty in his stomach was rolling around and turning it into a tight knot of discomfort. His body felt refreshed, but his mind was still fractured and exhausted.

How could they even get there and execute everything successfully? He wasn't going to hand over the work that they'd done over the years to the enemy. What did he have to lose? Aside from Larry and Bowser? Nothing else.

He smiled to himself as he thought about Larry - in a different world, he imagined that they would be more than just fair weather friends. Brothers-in-arms, maybe, along with everyone else. The potential was there. If only they hadn't butted heads at their opposing world views. They believed that order came from chaos. Ludwig believed that order came from justice. It was inevitable that they would split at the crossroads. At least they joined together for one last act of trust.

In the end, Ludwig knew that trust was genuine. He'd never admit it out loud but he grew a certain fondness and respect for the leader. After all, in the modern age, a man's worth is by how much he's willing to admit he had made a mistake and ask for help.

One by one, the rest of gang rose from their slumbers along with Junior and Henry. They all looked and probably felt the same as him; tired, beaten and battered but ready for one last push. He waited for them to all wake up properly and get some food and caffeine into their systems before he put his mug down. "Junior?" He said, catching his attention. "Should we get started?"

Junior blinked before the gears turned in his head and he registered the question. "Yeah. Follow me everyone."

"What's going on?" Roy asked suspiciously as everyone began to file out of the kitchen. Ludwig simply smiled and patted him lightly on the shoulder.

"Just a morale boosting exercise." He replied.

They were all gathered in one of the hallways at the far end of the mansion, a thin corridor that barely fit more than two at a time. He stopped in front of a seemingly innocent bookcase before turning to everyone. He looked up to Ludwig, who nodded at him.

"Promise you guys will keep this secret?"

Morton nodded. "Yeah, of course."

The younger man then began to pull out some books on the middle shelf - just seemingly innocent novels of varying genre and length. Not really consistent in the theme. He reached his arm into a small alcove of the shelf and fumbled around before he concretely slammed his hand down on something that made a loud click.

"Gotcha." He said proudly, shaking his arm as they stood back and watched as the bookcase swung open to reveal a door. No matter if it was locked, Junior already had the keys at the ready. The first one he put in after several revolutions of the lock made it click open.

The inside was metallic, like a fortress bunker or something straight out of an apocalypse movie. Metal sheeting and grating lined the floors with the walls being made of reinforced concrete and steel beams. "Come on," He motioned to everyone. "Down here."

"Good fucking stars above," Roy growled. "What's going on here?"

"Just a little something to get us in the mood to plan this thing." Ludwig said coyly, enjoying the thick confusion on not only Roy's face, but everyone else's as well.

The winding staircase felt like it was taking forever, even if they had only traversed one or two stories at the very most. The lights were a very cold and sterile colour of blue that made Lemmy feel very uncomfortable. It reminded him of the surgeries he had to get at the hospital.

They halted in front of a large vault. "Good to see that they at least kept this closed," Junior said to himself before moving over to the pin-pad next to the door. He punched in a set of numbers (no one really was looking) and another loud click and a bang clanged out from inside, making Lemmy almost jump into the ceiling. "Sorry about that," Junior assured them awkwardly. "This thing is ancient... certainly not Neo City Bank & Trust technology." He gripped the handle, took a deep breath and threw it down.

Like out of a cinematic movie, the door swung slowly with the sound of a lumbering truck heading towards them. But what was inside slowly revealed to them made their faces change from confusion to almost outright joy.

Suddenly, the tides had changed.

"The Chief and I talked last night and I told him about the secret stash we have down here in confidence and he agreed that we should show this off. Let everyone know that not all is lost."

"Holy shit..." Wendy breathed, looking around - the entire vault inside was lined from floor to ceiling in every weapon that they could possibly imagine. It was more than enough to arm a small army! "Is this even legal?"

Ludwig chuckled. "Since when are you suddenly worried about whether something is illegal or not?"

Everyone crowded in, most of them either staring at absolute shock or a weird sort of joy that filled them with hope. But thinking about it just bought about more implications. "Was Bowser in the mob or something?" Morton asked.

"No," Junior answered honestly. "He just likes to collect things. I think given the circumstances he'd be more than happy for us to borrow a few of these."

"I know I gave you all the 'We're not planning anything yet' thing last night, but I think it's important to realise that we're not dealing with just anyone here. Unlike anyone else we had targeted thus far, these people will kill us if they get the chance to. As much as I hope that when we meet them again it won't come to that but... I think we'd have to break the one rule."

Lemmy breathed in - no killing. That was the thing that was beat into everyone's head. Killing was unnecessary and bought more problems than it solved. He had picked up a revolver sitting nearby and spun the barrel idly in his hands. Could he really do that? He hadn't killed before, at least that he knew of. He was just blissfully ignorant of the years of potential deaths that were on his hands.

His mother was right about him.

He felt a patting on his shoulder - Roy had noticed him. "Don't worry, these guys are assholes, I don't think we should worry too much about whether we pop them or not."

"Since when we were judge, jury and executioner? We're just a bunch of criminals. We don't really hold the moral high ground."

"They kill innocent people, Lem..."

He wanted to argue back, but his brain was screaming at him not to. Roy had a point. A very flawed point, but it was something that he would have to come to terms with. After all, if he doesn't fight then someone could very well die.

These weapons weren't mere intimidation tools now, they were bonafide machines designed to kill. The thought made him feel sick even when he tried to resolve himself - this was for Larry and Bowser. Larry was the glue that held them all together and Bowser was the brains who ran the operations. A large amount of respect to both of them was definitely there.

Nodding, he picked up another revolver. He immediately felt like he had just been reunited with two old friends again even with the doubt fighting against his conscience. He didn't want to fight. He didn't want any more deaths, even though they hadn't lost anyone... it was so close to have this whole thing concluded, but there's always a chance for it to go wrong.

"Hey Lem," Wendy chuckled and brandished something that made his eyes widen. "Found this and figured you'd like it."

He couldn't believe it! It was a practically shiny Arc Bob-omb Launcher, designed to fit three bombs in one tube and the ability to time detonation charges. He never thought he'd see one of these, let alone hold on right now! He'd heard about these being used in the Darklands Military Operation Unit! How the heck did Bowser acquire one of these?

He was running his fingers over the shiny chrome barrel and was about to flick the sights up when Wendy interrupted him.

"You're smiling." She observed.

Lemmy couldn't help it. He was still worried, but that worry was just on the backburner for the time being now. Guess he was still a pyromaniac and an explosive nut at heart.

"Not that I'm not grateful for the weapons that you've given us Junior," Morton said as he handed Roy a Bloopaz 12G (a combat shotgun also curiously used in the DMOU). "But where the heck did your father manage to acquire this much hardware? This is putting Roy to shame."

Roy cracked a grin. "Yeah I'll admit that."

Junior rolled his shoulder. "Dad served in the DMOU for a bit, did some tours... I guess that was where he got it."

"You guess? You don't know?"

"I didn't know he was associating with this cult," He sighed. "He kept me out of the loop on a lot of things."

Henry, whom had been originally silent throughout the whole ordeal, nodded. "That makes sense, that he'd get it from someone in the military."

"And we'd burnt some of it back at Onigiri." Ludwig said. "Tried to throw them off our trail, didn't exactly work."

"Given the circumstances I'd think saving Dad's life is more than fair trade for some weapons lost. If he gets mad at you for that, don't worry I'll back you guys up. I know I'm just a kid, but you guys treated me like an adult for the most part so," The young man paused as he realised he was suddenly giving a speech of gratitude. "Whatever happens, if I can, I'll stick up for you all."

Roy was patting his shoulder. "You're a kid, but a good one. We'll sort this out."

Junior was thankful for that.

"So what, are we going to raid this compound with just eight of us? That sounds like a suicide mission." Morton interrogated Ludwig on the way back up to the mansion proper - the Chief had thrown his hands up indignantly, the thought of someone even entertaining that idea was ludicrous.

"No! No such thing, I've seen their compound and it is practically a fortress at ground level."

"Seen it, huh?" Roy rumbled. "Care to explain that Chief?"

Ludwig sighed. "Intel. That's all you need to know thus far."

"Woah woah woah," He had grabbed his arm. "Really? You're going to leave us with that? If we're going to pull this operation I think we need a bit more confidence then that, you know what I'm saying Chief?"

Ludwig looked over to Henry, whose face was plainly telling him that it was his choice. After all, he was the Chief. "I... I'm sorry," He pulled his arm free gently. "Need-to-know basis."

From the expression he gave him it didn't seem to make him feel better. But of course, he had to trust him. There was no use doubting each other at such a tense moment such as this when two lives were on the line even if the odds were so against them they'd have a better time getting struck by lightning. The fervor of the new weapons they had with them notwithstanding. Henry found the group very interesting - they were all still criminals at heart, but with consciences and a good sense of what friendship meant to them.

Or maybe they're just using us, the other side of his brain said to him. Henry couldn't deny the possibility but the logic didn't add up in the overall scheme of things... or maybe he was still fried from everything that had just transpired. Who knew? Everything was just weird.

"So," He started, everyone pausing to look at him. "What are we going to do about Tanaka? Ito?"

Ludwig hummed. "I'd like to keep everyone alive for the sake of prosecution but... I know you all aren't trained in the procedure of non-lethal takedowns."

"That's stupid. How can you non-lethally take someone down with a gun?" Wendy said.

"Whatever happens, happens. As long as he's alive, then I'll be happy."

"At least we'll have that, fuck anyone else." Roy grumbled from the back - Ludwig ignored him. How anyone, including himself, came to be tolerant of his never ending barrage of wise comments was anyone's guess. Once they get Larry back he's going to have to watch himself, lest another fight would inevitably break out between them. The thought of it gave him a massive headache.

With their weapons on them and a renewed sense of vigor within the gang, Junior lead them to the dining room. "You said it was a fortress, Chief?" Morton inquired - they were tough, but not that tough. Besides, going full frontal wasn't their style.

"Yes. If things have not changed, they will still be at their compound in the Plains Kingdom; an old castle that probably was home to some royals or whatever, but it was abandoned for a while until the Sutaoda moved in. We only know this because... well, we had our insiders fed us information."

Everyone nodded.

"I only saw it once and that was with a convoy when I was still an agent."

"Another story to tell us about your past?" Wendy commented with a grin, Ludwig returned it and shook his head.

"No. Not now. But I have seen the place before and I'm confident not much has changed about it. The primary weakness about the place for us is that it is in the middle of nowhere. Nothing can be snuck in, nothing will and ever will get through. I suppose it helps that it's sitting on the edge of a mountain but still..."

"So what are we going to do then?"

Ludwig drummed his fingers on the table. "I'm thinking that we play this carefully - we can't sneak in because they will be expecting us."

"Well you're not going in by yourself," Lemmy interjected. "We gotta be there, y'know?"

"Of course. I do not plan on going through with the trade. I just want to have concrete proof that they're not fooling with us and that they have Lawrence and Bowser."

"How about ya fool 'em?" Roy suggested. "Make some fakes and give it to them an' before they know anything, we're outta there!"

"That is a solid idea but I'm not sure if we have the resources and the know-how to replicate the artifacts," Ludwig scratched his chin. "Still... I do like it though..."

Junior felt really out of place all of a sudden - he had no idea what to say or what to do now. Of course he was content to watch everyone else throw out suggestions and potential plans, but he felt like he should be doing more. But it occurred to him when he looked around the table that everyone seemed just as unsure. After all, they were thieves, not fighters. How could they approach this without anyone dying? It was a hard question and no one seemed to know the right answer for it.

The hours rolled by as he listened intently, himself and Henry bringing food and drink to the gang (minus Iggy, who was tapping away at his laptop again) as they argued, compromised, plotted and began to draw things out. Ludwig was insistent on a stealthy approach while everyone else argued that it was inevitable that a fight would break out and they would need to be ready for that.

It had just ticked over to 4PM when everyone finally stood up and said they were all happy with the plan. Ludwig rolled out the paper that they had been scribbling on and pointed at it - in the middle was a giant square, meant to represent the compound with little squares inside to show the buildings inside. From what they were being told, it was a huge mansion surrounded by gated walls and no one knew where it was.

Except Ludwig. If he seemed troubled to have such knowledge of where it was, he wasn't showing it.

"Just so we're all on the same thought process here; I will go in at around noon by myself. I will drive up to the gates, let them let me in and I will confront Ito. I will confirm that he has Lawrence and Bowser and ask them to show them to me. Once we can confirm that they are alive, that is when Lemmy and Morton will cause a distraction on the west end of the compound. Once the charge has been detonated, everyone else will come in by helicopter and you will all give myself, Lawrence, Bowser, Lemmy and Morton air support while we neutralize everyone and make a getaway."

"That's risky as hell," Roy grunted. "What's the backup if something goes wrong?"

Ludwig sighed. "In that case... do what you have to do. As long as their hands aren't on the artifacts that everyone is accounted for, I can make do with a few fatalities."

"You're going to have to Chief. Our streak of pacifism is going to end with this one."

"Just because we have to do it doesn't mean we'll be okay with it," Wendy said. "At least we'll have the self-defense justification, right?"

"I think in this case, the rules can be broken just a little bit." Ludwig laughed.

"Break the rules, huh? It's about time we do it for something good for once."

Junior grinned, but then he just remembered something. "It's going to be us eight?"

"No, of course not!" Lemmy said. "We still have friends out there and they still have our helicopter! I'll go and make the call."

"You do that Lem, we'll need everyone we can get." Iggy commented - they watched as he picked up the landline phone and tapped in a number. Suddenly they had deja vu all over again, staring at Lemmy as he made the same phone call to the same people all over again.

"Hey... oh hey Red, it's Lem... yeah, yeah... yeah, we're fine, how are you? ...Good, no one's bothered you? Great. Look, we still have your van, sorry we kind of ran off with it but things are calm for the moment... yeah, do you still have your license though...? Oh, why? Because... well, we need you guys... yes, all four of you. We need to rescue Larry and Bowser... yes, that Bowser... we need the helicopter because we're going to raid the Order of the Star's compound... yeah it's crazy, but we have it figured out. We need some extra hands, would Yellow, Black and Green be okay if they could help out? ... Okay... y-yeah, sure, I understand. Okay, I'll hold..."

He looked over at everyone who was staring at him with uncertain faces. Lemmy sighed and rolled his eyes with a grin. "It's Red. He's gotta consult these things..."

No one really understood, but it wasn't completely shut down yet. After about ten minutes, Red's voice was barely heard from the receiver. "Hey, Lemmy?"

Lemmy returned. "Yes, Red? What have you... no, really? Wow you- you're kidding? You will? Y-yeah, okay..."

The gang looked eager now.

"Yeah, you can come by at Ashwood Estates. 1985 Koopa Way... it's the big mansion. Yeah, it's Bowser's place... I'm sure he won't mind, he will have to be okay with it anyway. Okay... yeah, you'll be over in a few hours? Fantastic. We'll bring you guys up to speed on the plan... okay, thank you again Red. Okay, see you soon... bye."

After putting the phone back on the line, Lemmy simply gave the gang a thumbs up.

"... Do they know how to handle weapons?" Roy asked.

Lemmy just gave a shrug. "If they do, they'll surprise me."

"We shall wait for them. In the mean time... everyone?" Everyone looked to Ludwig. "Check your weapons and go over the plan as many times as you need to. That includes you, Detective and Junior. Our getaway van will be ready with Green and Iggy. When Lemmy's friends come in, we'll look over the helicopter and make sure that we'll have enough room. We can do this everyone."

Roy thumped his chest. "Hell yeah we can."

"Just hope Larry doesn't kill you." Lemmy commented.

* * *

 _LOCATION: Sutaoda Compound, Plains Kingdom_

 _TIME: 11:49AM the next day..._

There was a weird feel in the air, Larry could sense it. He'd always had a sixth sense about these things. There was a stillness up above - guards had been coming and going, giving them food and water as usual, but they had discerning, serious looks this time round. Whenever they came through they'd always joke or insult them with grins on their stupid faces. This time though? Nothing.

He was close by to the door, arms folded and trying to peak down the corridor.

"Stop doing that," Bowser grumbled. "It's making me nervous."

Larry frowned. "Something is going on. I don't know what though."

"You've been like this for the past few days. Calm down."

That was true - maybe he was still on edge and not used to being a hostage. He resigned himself to another day stuck in this tiny cell with his boss and went to go sit down on the ground when the bars suddenly rattled. One of the usual guard, the one with the double barrel and the weird smirk, opened the door and stepped in.

"Alright you two, come on."

"The hell is going on?" Larry stood up, hands up. Another guard stepped in behind him and began to bind his hands.

"You got some friends up above who want to say hi to you."

Bowser chuckled. "Heh, I doubt it."

"Shut up. It's your lucky day."

"You don't know luck, pal," Larry grumbled as they began to be lead out into the hallway. He was well aware of the guard behind him with the gun pointed at his back - one wrong move and he would shoot. At this point, Larry would see it as par for the course. How many times had he been shot?

He began to trudge up the stairs-

 _ ***BOOM***_

The next thing he knew, Larry was on his back, dazed and confused, his vision swimming in white and black as he tried to recognise what was going on. His ears were ringing! What the hell happened?! Moaning in pain he blinked and rolled over, his hands still bound behind his back. Everyone else was on the ground too, there were voices yelling from above and then...

Gunfire.

He breathed and watched as the guards scrambled to get back up, shouting something to themselves. He didn't really know what they were saying, all that he knew was that they were shouting. Gunfire rang louder and louder above, little explosions rocking them and the plaster from the walls of the dungeon.

A loud growl eminated from behind them - Bowser was up now, towering over them as they tried to get up.

Without a word, he slammed his shoulder into the first guard who went flying and landed squarely on the wall, his weapon clattering away from his grip as he fell over. Knocked out. Larry gave a small yelp of surprise as Bowser suddenly rammed into the next one, who was about a second from pulling the trigger on his shotgun. He too met the same fate as his comrade, knocked out right before his eyes.

"Holy s-shit!" Larry exclaimed, struggling to get back up. "Did you kill them?!"

Bowser shook his head and struggled against his ropes, panting, "Nah. They're just sleeping..." He growled and tried to rip it apart but even with how bulky and burly he was, he still couldn't break out of the binds. The fighting above was deafening; the explosions had stopped, but there was still shooting. Larry had just pulled himself up off the ground when Bowser had found a sharp piece of metal lining on one of the corners of the doorframe and began to cut the ropes.

"There, gotcha... shit, get down!"

Larry spun around and immediately fell over again - more cultists had their guns aimed squarely at his head, but in an instant all he heard was a loud bang. Blood sprayed out of their stomaches as they screamed in pain, their bodies sliding down the wall and leaving fresh streaks behind them. Panting heavily Larry spun around - Bowser was now free and holding the double barrel shotgun that he had retrieved. When he was confident that they couldn't do anything, he immediately pulled Larry up and cut him loose as well.

"Fucking hell!" He shouted, wriggling his wrists and spinning around - the cultists were sitting there, their screams turning slowly into moans and whimpers. They were dying. But then he saw one of them go under his jacket.

Bowser didn't hesitate; he pulled the trigger, aimed squarely at the one still alive.

"You can thank me twice now," He said, not caring to the fact that he had just blown someone's head off. "Fucker's had it coming to them."

He wanted to argue, was it necessary? But then the pistol slipped out of the dead cultist's body and he realised; for the time being, yes, it was. He turned around - Bowser was rummaging through one of the guards for any ammo. He pulled out a few shotgun shells, probably enough to get them through the compound if they were careful. "Here," He said, pulling the rifle off the other hand and handing it to Larry. "Check the pockets. I don't know how many of these fucks are here, but we'll need to get out of here. Whoever's above doing this... if I meet them, I'm going to buy them a whole damn bar."

Larry allowed himself a chuckle and checked the weapon. It looked in good enough condition and he managed to retrieve a few magazines as well.

"Come on, let's get out of here. Are you going to backstab me as well though, Lawrence?"

"Don't tempt me."

Up at the top of the stairs, the gunfire grew louder. They each both took different spots behind the door frame. They were ready, signalling nods to each other.

Larry reared back and kicked the door open.

* * *

 _A/N: If you're still here, I still love you! We're going towards the final battle and we'll see a lot of pov swaps as well._


	18. Break The Rules

**CHAPTER 18 - Break The Rules**

* * *

 _LOCATION: Sutaoda Compound, Plains Kingdom_

 _TIME: An hour earlier..._

The Plains Kingdom was beautiful. Ludwig hadn't come here much, but the days he had still stayed in his mind. The image hadn't changed when he stepped out of his car after the long drive all the way from the Darklands Kingdom. Many hours thinking over, planning, going through what everyone had agreed on what the plan was. He wanted to deny that anything could go wrong but he couldn't - every thing could go wrong with this. It was so risky that he felt completely stupid to even contemplate walking into this, but he couldn't go back now.

He hooked the microphone hidden inside his lapel - the team would be able to hear him now, but he wouldn't be able to hear them. He would have to trust them.

Putting his life into the hands of the gang that he had betrayed? Ludwig chuckled at the irony of where he was now.

"Showtime." He said simply to himself, standing at the front gates of the compound - the beige brick standing almost two storeys tall. It looked more like a fort than a compound, what with the guard towers and sentries posted all around. Nothing had changed much when he first walked in here. Investigations launched into potential mismanagement of funds and tax evasion. Oh if they knew what he knew now, they would have firebombed the place ages ago. His heart thumped forcefully as two guards clad in their usual cloaks and bearing rifles approached him.

He saw the eyes under the shadowy veils look over him with contempt and disgust before nudging him forward. They didn't even dignify touching him. First mistake they would make.

The inside gave him the shivers - all around were cloaked figures, some with guns, weeping mothers and fathers holding children. This was going to complicate things. His eyes strayed over to a small koopa child, their hood down as they looked on with interest at the outsider being paraded through the open field. Ludwig had to close his eyes and look away - he hoped that they would get out alive.

"Tell Master Ito that the Chief is here, Sister," The guard to his right said. "We are ready to do the exchange."

Like an obedient pup, Ludwig stopped and waited, keeping his hands right where everyone could see them. No need to blow the cover just yet.

A long and interminable amount of time passed before the doors to the chapel opened. There he was, stepping out, hands and eyes praising the sky before looking down. Ludwig could see the beautiful colours of his eyes, each different, but they were different this time. They were so different. Nausea settled in his stomach as Ito approached him.

"Chief Ludwig," He spoke calmly and folded his hands together. "How blessed of us for you to have received the note we left you. We were honestly thinking that the word of the Dark Star would keep you away for a week, maybe two. But I see that you are loyal and eager. Very good traits that I'm pretty sure you extolled the virtues of when we worked together, didn't we?"

Ludwig bristled. "That was a long time ago, Christopher. Why did you get pulled into this?"

"Don't be so coy. You know exactly why."

"They brainwashed you." It wasn't a question - it was a statement.

"Brainwashing is such a degrading term. It makes it sound like I was forced into the teachings of the star, when I merely realised what the chains of governmental police work was like. And behold, here we are once again, about to free ourselves from our anger and hate and hurt," A sickly smile came over his face. "You have the artifacts, don't you?"

"You were an agent of the Neo City Police Department, Tanaka," Ludwig stated in a harsher tone. "You went against all that you swore to do; you swore to protect not just the Darklands Kingdom, but all the kingdoms under mushroom rule. You were supposed to die."

"Die? Yes, I was supposed to. But our previous Master, he took mercy on me. He saw the potential in me and freed me. You should know, Chief Ludwig; hasn't your time on the run been liberating to you?"

"Chaos is not liberating. Anarchy is not liberating. Murdering innocent civilians, desecrating ancient ruins, interfering in police work, treason... that is liberating to you?!"

The master put an arm around his shoulder - he flinched, but the gun behind him made him stop. "You see Chief, I learned something about laws. They're just words. Words dictated by tyrants. I chose to simply not involve myself in your laws. To what seems like crime to you, is just the Dark Star telling me what is needed to accomplish their return. What you see as senseless murder, we see as a means to an end. Do I regret what we have done? Of course. But as you cannot control the lawmen that you command, I cannot control my fellow acolytes."

Why didn't Ludwig believe a word of it? He rolled his eyes.

"I see your skepticism, but you hold the artifacts. I can sense it. The strength in your expression. You will see what the Dark Star will offer you, I assure you. The fact that you have gone after them and kept them away from our hands proves that you hold an amount of value to them. If they were senseless trinkets, why do you hesitate to give it up to us?"

"Believe it or not there is more to the world than just the Dark Star, Tanaka. These artifacts hold historical value that, being a natural born citizen of the Mushroom Kingdom, you should know about."

Ito chuckled and patted his shoulder. "Yes, you were always so fascinated with history. Not a lot has changed about you Chief, I can tell. Now... as promised, Lawrence and Bowser are alive. In fact, they're under our feet right now as we speak. Let's do a trade, as they say; three artifacts and the lives shall be yours."

"Show me them first. I want to see them before I trade you anything."

"... You drive a hard bargain, Chief Ludwig. Fine," He waved one of his bodyguards over. "Tell the novices down below to prepare the prisoners."

"Yes, Master."

As soon as he disappeared deep into the chapel, Ito simply looked at Ludwig squarely in the eye before nodding to one of the guards. Ludwig's heart stopped as he felt the cold gun metal up against the back of his head. Without reacting rashly, he simply put his hands up.

"So, Chief, can I ask you a few questions? How many of your friends are here?"

Ludwig remained stone-faced, although deep inside he was reading himself his last rites. "No one. Just you, me and the Order here."

"No one would walk in here knowing who they are and what they stand for and, if I know you Chief Ludwig, you are not invincible. Tell me," He grabbed his shoulders and lowered his voice down to a whisper in his ear. Ludwig couldn't see, but he knew that Ito had the most deranged grin on his face as he felt the warmth of his breath splay out against his temples. "Are you invincible?"

He was sure he was going to have nightmares for the rest of his life.

"N-no. No one is here."

Ito faced him. "Liar."

 _ ***KA-BOOM***_

A loud rocking explosion from their left made them stumble over - Ludwig, even though his left ear was temporarily deaf from the rocking explosion, reacted quickly. The guard that had originally had the gun pointed at him had pointed it in the other direction for a brief second, which he took the opportunity to disarm. He lunged his palm at the guards throat while grabbing the rifle with the other, kicking him down and spinning around, ready to eviscerate whoever was in front of him.

Ito had already retreated in the chapel and his bodyguards were already poised and ready to shoot.

Ludwig prayed that luck was on his side and ran for dear life to behind one of the houses, where gunfire began to ring out all round. While the bullets and shots ricocheted all around him, it didn't hit him. The smoke and dust had began to clear, showing a nice big hole in the side of the wall. Lemmy and Morton were pressing themselves up against some low cover, Morton desperately speaking into the microphone he had on him.

"Do not engage, repeat, do not engage! Do not bring the van around here Green and Iggy! Only come in when we tell you to, okay?!" He looked up and saw Ludwig slid next to them, kicking up even more dust. "Ludwig is alive!"

"I should be angry, but you just saved my life!" The Chief exclaimed, Lemmy nodded simply as he slotted another bomb into his weapon. Morton scuttled over as Lemmy took over his position.

"Hey Chief!" He handed him an earpiece. "Sorry about that but we heard what was going on and we couldn't risk it!"

He shoved the earpiece in and inspected the magazine on his rifle. "We don't know if they're alive yet or not!"

"I'm sorry Chief, we had to make that call. We couldn't risk it."

He patted Morton on the arm. "It's fine, Morton! You and Lemmy did the right thing! We just need everyone else in! Wendy, Red, are you coming in with the helicopter?!"

"Right at ya, Chief!"

Above them in the skies, a helicopter shot past screeching loudly with the sound of gunfire - Roy was on top and he was holding the biggest, meanest light machine gun anyone had ever seen. The hail of bullets and explosions helped to clear out the stragglers who were quickly encroaching on them. The whooping from Roy would have been infectious if Ludwig still wasn't recovering from the tinnitus he had just received.

"Okay," Red said as she maneuvered the helicopter to the middle of the compound. "You're safe now! Everyone out except Black and Henry!"

Morton thumped the Chief on the arm and then pulled out his revolver. "Here, I thought you'd want this."

"Much appreciated. Come on, let's get in there!"

Roy, Yellow, Black, Junior and Wendy slid down the makeshift rope all with their weapons on them. Wendy looked up and gave the thumbs-up. "Red, go do some circles of the compound and make sure there's no one out here still! Henry, you know how to handle that thing?"

"I will try, Miss Koopa." The detective's calm voice came through, with a tone of playfulness at the end. "Roy made it look easy."

"Be our spotter! If anyone's going into the chapel, let us know!" Ludwig shouted. "And do not engage any families with children! There are multiple children on the premises, hold your fire if you see one!"

"Don't need to tell us twice Chief, we're be careful."

"Come on everyone! Get into the chapel now!"

* * *

Rearing up all of his aching body that he could muster, Larry slammed one good foot straight into the locks of the double doors - as expected, the locks broke away (only having been connected with rust). They swung open with a mighty force, slamming loudly into the concrete walls.

Rifle up and ready, he looked around - it looked to be a sparring room or maybe a firing range? He didn't have much time to realize for sure because a line of cultists had suddenly filed into the room and began to fire wildly at them. Reacting quickly, Larry returned back to his usual spot, knowing that that was just a bullet that had barely grazed his head.

"Fuck!" He shouted, looking over to Bowser. "What the fuck do we do?!"

"Wait until they run out of ammo and then fire back!"

"Easier said than done!"

Indeed though, true to his word, the cultists had emptied their magazines in an attempt to hit the two bodies that were clearly behind strong cover. As soon as the gunfire stopped and the swearing began, the pair flooded out into the entryway; Bowser stood tall and approached them with his weapon up, growling loudly.

"Big mistake ya fucking punks!" He shot the first cultist, blowing them backwards in a spray of blood. Larry followed suit and picked off the rest with his rifle, expertly aiming and putting them down knowing that they weren't able to fight back. Once they were all confirmed as down, Bowser growled and picked up the rifle. _"Revenge is a bitch, isn't it, shithead?"_ He spat on the corpse before roughly patting down Larry's jacket.

"What the hell are you doing?!" Larry exclaimed, flailing his arms around and trying to wriggle out of the grasp. He wasn't surprised when Bowser pulled out the spare magazine that he had picked up earlier and replaced it with the empty one.

 _Click-clack, kch-chuck!_ "Watch and learn, Lawrence, watch and learn."

He glowered as Bowser lumbered towards one of the doors. _"Could have asked, fucking asshole."_

"I'm going to mount that asshole Ito's head on a fucking pike and then I will hunt down every cultist that is still alive and show them that this is what happens when you mess with Bowser!" He didn't seem to be put off by any bullets whizzing past them - he simply raised the rifle and fired a couple of shots to put them down. They were winding through so many corridors that it made Larry's head spin.

"Where the hell are we going?"

Bowser checked a corner. "We're going to make a little detour first, Lawrence."

"What?! Are you fucking crazy?! We should be getting out of here!" He spun around when he heard voices from behind - he raised his rifle and fired back some shots as Bowser dragged him around the corner.

"I'm not going anywhere until I see Ito in his prissy little room and I'm going to turn him into a fucking lamp shade when I'm done with him."

Larry grabbed his arm, which didn't do much considering the man was twice the size he was. "Look dude, I know you're angry, but we gotta leave. You can get your fucking revenge on him some other day! I just want to get out of here!"

The large male growled and shoved him roughly. "You want to run then?! Weak, fucking weak! Just like that fucking woman of yours!"

"Hey, don't bring my wife into this you asshole!"

"It isn't my fault that she made you fuck everything up! We could have had something good going if you hadn't stabbed us in the back!"

"If you were in my shoes Koopa, you wouldn't be saying that!" Larry kept his eyes on the back, although he would spin around to glare at Bowser every chance he could get. Bowser simply rumbled a chuckle and one-handedly opened a door from around the corner.

"Junior isn't like Nick."

Larry frowned. "You don't know that."

"I know my kid well enough."

"You haven't been much of a father then," He said, pulling in a breath; the endless corridors of light fixtures and weird incense smells was starting to make his head spin. "If you think you know your kid."

Bowser seemed to regard that comment with skepticism, or maybe it was the situation that was not entirely appropriate to talk about one's parenting skills, and he continued silently - it just occurred to Larry that he was being way too knowledgeable on where he was going. It didn't surprise him that Bowser had been here before. Anything that related to Bowser in terms of revelations was strictly following the trend of not surprising Larry the least. He wasn't sure if he was okay with that.

"Here," Bowser stopped him - the gunfire had receded into the distance on the other side of the compound. "This is it. This is the fucker's room." He turned to look at him with fierce red eyes. "Help me or stay out of my way."

Larry shook his head. "Fuck it. Asshole gave me a headache. Let's mess him up."

The door didn't so much open up as it shattered into a thousand splintery pieces as Bowser punched through, rifle raised and looking down the sights. But the dust settled as Larry walked in behind him, and he threw his hands down in frustration.

"He ain't here! Where is he?!"

And just like that, like an overeager cop trying to hunt the suspect down, Bowser began to grab things off shelves and threw anything over that he didn't need all the way grumbling and swearing under his breath. Larry just stood by and watched as various books, plates, statues, plants and other decorative items were tossed aside and landed at his feet.

"That'll teach him," Larry said sarcastically. "Destroy his stuff."

Bowser made sure to throw the next plate at his head. "Shut up."

Despite the impromptu renovation of the bedroom, Bowser found nothing that seemed to satisfy him. Billows of smoke flooded out of his nostrils as he slammed a drawer shut harshly and walked straight out the door. "We're going over to the chapel."

Larry wanted to argue, but he knew better now than to piss off his boss. "Lead the way."

The pair made their way back the way they came more silently - the shooting became louder and louder again and once they hit the lower floors again, to which more stragglers had appeared to try and slow them down.

"Get back!" Bowser shouted, shoving Larry out into cover as a surprise attack sprung on them - a cultist with a knife had jumped from a blind corner and was grappling with the larger male. Barely recovering, Larry pulled his rifle and aimed. "Shoot him!"

"I'm trying!" Larry exclaimed back. "He's moving too much!"

Bowser, in a moment of strength, twisted the arm the cultist had the knife on and made him drop it. The opening that he had made let Larry fire off a bullet straight into their kneecap, whom Bowser was easily able to dispatch now. Before he could even thank Larry, his eyes went wide.

"What?"

Without a word he picked up the knife and threw it - it sailed past Larry's face, who followed the trajectory and saw it land straight onto another cultist's face whom had suddenly ambushed them from behind.

Larry stared wide eyed at the writhing cultist who screamed in pain and simply looked over at Bowser, who was panting and picking up his weapon again.

"You can thank me later kid," He said, ignoring the screams. "Come on, let's go."

He tried to hide the nausea in him as Larry took one last look - they had stopped screaming and were dead.

This was why he always emphasized no killing. These guys deserved it arguably and, even then, this was brutal. He hoped that no one would judge him afterwards for this.

The corridors opened up back into the sparring room, across from them was the great hall. Larry could see it from there - through the arch and they were in the main building. It was here that he could hear a helicopter buzzing around outside. Fuck, was the cops here? Had they raided the compound?

"I hear it too." Bowser said, nodding. "We gotta hurry. If they're still out there fighting, we can get out of here."

"As soon as we cap Ito, though?"

Bowser chuckled. "Coming around to the idea, huh?"

"No," Larry replied. "But I know you won't leave until you do, so fuck it."

Bowser shrugged - he would take that. They ran into the main hall; Larry looked to his left. The outside were just there! And yet Bowser wanted to go on this stupid chase... whatever. He resisted the urge to just bolt and run out right there and now and went after him, making a right and facing towards a bunch of doors that looked important.

Without a word, the doors flew open and Bowser thundered in. "ITOOOOO!"

Indeed, Master Ito was there, standing up at the very top of the altar. He seemed very relaxed and calm despite the sudden intrusion. Larry followed in, his eyes widening when he noticed that they weren't alone now.

"Guys?!"

Ludwig, Lemmy, Morton, Wendy, Roy, Junior and two other people that he hadn't seen before were there as well, standing there as well. Lemmy lowered his weapon for a moment, his eyes wide as saucers from Bowser's explosive entrance, and took a moment to realize as well.

"Larry? Bowser?!"

"Dad!" Junior exclaimed excitedly.

"As you can see," Ito's voice boomed from up front. "We were not lying when we said that your friends were alive. Bowser, my dear friend, welcome. I'm sure this has been a long time coming for all of us. You will finally get your exacted revenge and your employees now know the identity of their fabled, mysterious employer. Now I ask that you lower your weapons."

"Fat chance!" Roy shouted back. "You think we're going to let you go after what you've done to us?!"

The two parties stared at each other - Ito and his crumbling empire on one side and the rag-tag team on the other, the chapel the battleground of stained glass and deluded dreams. It was so easy to just pull up their guns and pop him in the head right now. Bowser was about to, when Ludwig spoke.

"Enough of this! We will not shoot you unless we have to! Put down your weapon and surrender!"

"Only if you will honor the deal, Chief. The three artifacts and I will go peacefully."

Bowser growled. "Don't do it, Ludwig."

"Never. Do you think I will honor a deal with some treasonous murdering scum?"

"Oh Chief," Ito laughed, "How ironic of you to say that. Who was the one who turned their back on their obligations and shot everyone on an ill conceived mission to rescue some personal friends of yours? What was that virtue you talked about putting the lives of many above the needs of the few? Wasn't that your job as a police officer?" He splayed his arms out and walked out from behind the altar. "You play a game saying that you are more honorable, you are exempt from law to do these terrible actions and yet you say you have the high ground?"

"Will you shut the fuck up?!" Morton snapped. "You are so fucking pretentious to listen to!"

If that comment bothered him, Ito didn't seem to show it. "Oh, the minds of the uneducated..."

"I have a PhD, you fuck! A PhD in engineering and shutting smug assholes up!"

"I see Bowser has taught you well."

Ludwig shook his head. "It's over, Tanaka. Just come down here. Don't make this harder than it already is. If you surrender, I promise I'll see what I can do to get you off a bit easier."

"I'm sure it won't happen, although I appreciate your words, Chief Ludwig. The Dark Star is coming and you will all be witness to see it."

"That's just religious superstition and hokey-pokey nonsense! These artifacts have nothing magical about them!" Ludwig pulled them out to emphasize his point. "Just years of cultural and historical value! They were a metaphor for the defeat of the Dark Star! Nothing is magical, nothing is sealed within them and nothing you say will make me surrender these over to you!"

"... Really now?" In an instant, he felt his breath escape his body and a constricting arm around his throat. He clawed at it, but it was futile. The gang had spun around now and had their weapons poised at him, Red shouted in astonishment.

"What the hell are you doing, Bowser?!"

Ludwig struggled to look up, but all he could feel was the air being squashed out of him and the gun pressed against his head for the second time today. It was Bowser.

"No!" Ito shouted. "Bowser, release him immediately! The artifacts are not yours! You fools, how did you let him get close!?"

Bowser chuckled. "Step any further and your Chief will not be having an open casket funeral. Oh, how fortuitous of me to overhear that Chief Ludwig has holding the artifacts this whole time. After all, isn't that what I hired you all for all along?"

Junior stepped forward. "D-dad?! Stop this please!"

"Sorry Junior. It's nothing personal with everyone here... except Ito, of course. It's just business."

He saw it in his eyes though - the red irises that he had inherited from his father, a match of the brutal male that he was happy to call his father. The caregiver, the one who raised him and taught him all the neccessary skills needed to survive... and yet, here he was.

The nineteen year old watched as his father started to strangle Ludwig to death, demanding him to hand over the artifacts and no one was doing anything about it.

He raised his weapon - it was heavy now, the metal shaking in his hands.

"What, you're going to shoot your old man?"

"I-I will if you- you don't let him go!" Ludwig began to go blue. "STOP! You're killing him!"

"Boss, come on!" Wendy said. "Stop this! Let him go!"

"Not until I get the artifacts! Give them to me right now!"

Ludwig struggled as much as he could, but no one seemed to budge. Getting impatient, Bowser growled in annoyance and threw his hand into Ludwig's jacket and fished around for the artifacts - his arm was now off his neck and Ludwig was able to get his breath back. He coughed and spluttered as he took in big gulps of air but couldn't react fast enough when Bowser had grabbed all three artifacts and shoved him onto the ground.

"Yes... yes!" He shouted triumphantly - Larry had rushed over to help Ludwig up, the group trying to back up as much as possible. "The artifacts are now mine!"

Ito screamed in frustration. "You incompetent child! Why did you not shoot him!? He has control of it now!"

"Control of what?!" Yellow asked.

"THE DARK STAR!"

"Oh, you didn't believe a word of what Ito said?" Bowser began to explain, palms splayed out as the artifacts began to float. "He is right to call you the fools. The Dark Star indeed does exist. Oh, when I heard of its magnificent power on the many days Ito and I spent together I just had to have it. What better power is there than a god's power, after all?"

Ludwig stared mouth agape as the artifacts began to spin around and emit dark magic. Magic! This kind of magic had never been seen before in centuries! So... it was all true all along?!

Morton whipped his gun up to take a shot, but an invisible force whipped his weapon out of his hand, followed by a punch to the head which sent him flying to the ground.

"Holy shit! Morton!" Lemmy ran over to attend to him, only to be met with the same fate.

Bowser pointed a finger at them, his voice growing otherworldly as the magic began to twist and meld into his body further. "Don't you fucking dare move an inch!" He shouted at the rest of the group. "I will kill you for your defiance!"

"No! It is too late! He is not supposed to be the vessel for the Dark Star!" The leader had his hands on his head. "He is too arrogant, too power hungry, he will destroy us all!"

Bowser began to ascend into the air, a dark light surrounding him as the artifacts disappeared into his chest as he screamed out in pain. "THIS... POWER... THIS... IS ALL... MINE! COME, DARK STAR! I AM YOUR VESSEL!"

The entire chapel began to rumble as his body began to bend and warp in unnatural ways that no one should ever see in their lives. The blazing fire of pain and darkness began to fill every nook and cranny of his body, his yellow and dirty scales turning into a dark violet. It felt like the entire world was suffering a large earthquake. As Ludwig struggled to keep himself on balance, the crackling voices of Red and Black came over the line.

"What the hell- going on?! The entire- losing helicopter control- repeat, what is- we have to land-"

The build-up of the transformation was slowly coming to a head. No one wanted to raise their weapons, they were too alarmed to do anything! Larry looked over and saw Junior, watching in abject horror as he watched his father turn into this demon.

The darkness had fully taken over Bowser now, his roars deafeningly loud that Larry couldn't take it anymore. He fell to his knees, hands on his ears, trying so hard to ease the pain but he couldn't do anything. It just hurt and hurt and hurt so much!

And then Bowser unleashed himself and a shock wave of darkness shot out from him. Larry only had a brief moment of time to look up before he was overwhelmed and lost consciousness.

* * *

 _"Lawrence... where have you been?"_

 _"I'm sorry Mom. Just stayed out late."_

 _"Again? Please Lawrence... you know I don't want you getting hurt. I know what you're doing to pay for my medical bills but... don't. Don't give them the money. I don't need money. I just don't want to die. Lawrence, please tell me I'm not going to die."_

 _"Mom..."_

 _The next day she had died. Larry tried to run faster and faster, but he could never make it._

 _He always failed her._


	19. End of the Line

**CHAPTER 19 - End of the Line**

* * *

 _LOCATION: ?_

 _TIME: ?_

 _An endless void, a sea of nothing except darkness beyond and never-ending nightmares. His head swirling in a sea of a thousand voices all inside of his mind, spitting harsh words and reminding him of the failures of everyone that he held dear to him. And as his friends could hear his nightmares, he could hear theirs._

 _"Roy... this ain't working out... you need to get serious..."_

 _"We warned you time and time again Morton and you never took us seriously... now get out..."_

 _"Please Wendy... you've done enough... you'll never amount to anything... it is a disgrace..."_

 _"That is your name, Lani... that will always be your name and you will never be a boy..."_

 _"Ludwig... get out of here... save yourself... don't be sad about this... you did well..."_

 _"Shut up, you brat! It is your fault that your mother died... I do not have a son..."_

 _"Red! Black! Green! I'm dying! You gotta help me!"_

 _"Guys... everyone! Yellow! Green! Red! I miss you guys...! Come back!"_

 _"Agent Ito... there is no cause for alarm... you will feel the inner soul of the Dark Star and you will embrace its word... let us persuade you..."_

 _Everything paused for a brief moment, yet he could not open his eyes. Another voice spoke out but it was one that he had never heard before._

 _"Bowser... you are my son, but that doesn't mean you aren't a disappointment to the Koopa name. You're marrying this girl now? What a stupid thing... to turn your back on your family..."_

 _Larry forced himself to look at the truth. Everything was bright, like he was in heaven. But the overwhelming feeling of deception loomed deeply in his heart, it swirled around in there like a lie that was weighing down on him. It made him almost want to collapse to the ground, to submit himself to whatever forces were holding him down._

 _But then he looked up. At the top of the altar... there stood Bowser. He wasn't his old self where grays on his hair intermingled with the quickly fading reds... no, he was young again. Younger than Larry ever looked or felt. There was that warm and otherworldly feel about him._

 _He was lucid enough to know that it was a lie though. In between the unconsciousness bodies of his allies and foes alike, he knew that it was nothing but bad news. Yet his heart yearned to approach him. He could hear the small calling whispers of the Dark Star beckon him forward and he tried to resist._

 _He could not. His body operated independent of his mind, shambling forward, towards the angelic figure who had the wings of darkness, like a zombie from one of those movies that... what was his name again?_

 _Nicholas. That's right... Nick._

 _It was from one of the movies Nick watched._

 _Larry stepped over the threshold and Bowser suddenly appeared in front of him in the brief moment that he blinked. His mind and his body did not react as it would a normal person. Instead, he left Bowser's soft hands caress his face. It felt rough and cold, like the metal of a gun._

 _"Did I ask for this, Lawrence?" He seemed regretful. "No... no, I did not. But you do not understand. Ito... heh, he does not understand either. He does not understand that the true being of the Dark Star is not born of blind faith and loyalty, but ambition, greed and skill."_

 _He couldn't speak. All he could do was stare at this young male who looked into his eyes and searched for his soul._

 _"We are one of the same, you and I. Beings born of ambition, of greed, of skill... it is our purpose- nay, our will, to drive these aspects of ourselves forward. It sat in waiting for years and years, trapped in the confines of the three stones that held it tethered to this mortal realm and I watched you, Lawrence. You and everyone else... you allowed it to break free. The power that has only been of heard through millenia and now it has a vessel. You were chosen, Lawrence. You understand, deep down, even if your judgment is clouded by emotions... emotions... are such a sentient thing, isn't it?"_

 _Larry found himself able to speak, but it came out weak and croaking. "But... but what... what about your son?"_

 _Bowser paused, letting his hands fall over to his sides. "My son... yes... I do not understand these feelings... this joy, this love for my son... the Dark Star does not understand. That is why it consumes... it consumes because it can overpower it."_

 _"So... so you never... never loved him?"_

 _"Make no mistake Lawrence... I loved him. I loved him more than life itself... but love is fleeting. It should not get in the way of what is right in the world. You regret every moment of your betrayal, don't you Lawrence? Every little bit of destroying your friends lives... just for your love. Was it worth it...?"_

 _Tears started to form in his eyes. "No... no, it wasn't..."_

 _"Let me help you, Lawrence," He took his hands. "Let us help you... you are a wonderful person deep down in this broken heart that I can hear is still desperately trying to beat... I can feel the love you have towards everyone... I can heal you... we can heal you... your memories will be full of light..."_

 _Something happened._

 ** _*BANG*_**

 _It was that snap-second action of watching the inky black blood of the darkness spill out of his head that made Larry jump back. It was Ito, standing there, bloodied and holding a handgun up._

 _"Resist! Do not fall for his words! He will promise you nothing but pain, misery and endless suffering in your purgatory! Do you hear me?!"_

 _Larry watched as Bowser simply wiped the blood from the bullet hole in his head, look at it smeared across his fingers with such disinterest before looking up to Ito and cocking his head in a very unsettling grin. Larry watched as Bowser threw one hand back to send a vine of darkness straight from his palm. He watched idly by without raising a finger as it speared Ito straight through the stomach, who screamed and cried out in an ghastly noise as he struggled to cling on to the little remnants of life he had in._

 _He watched as the realization of death was setting in for him and he looked over to Larry, whom hadn't lost eye contact with during the whole thing, and smiled weakly._

 _"I'm not m-mad," He coughed. "You're... you're under his... his control... i-it's fine... I... I know what it's like... t-to feel that way... resist... he will... he will toss you aside... and you will not r-realise until..."_

 _Ito said no more, and slumped over pathetically before Bowser retracted. His body hit the ground with an anti-climatic 'thump'._

 _"How fitting," Bowser said. "He spent his life killing others for the glory of the Dark Star... and he never realised that it could also happen to him. The sin of blind loyalty. Loyalty never guarantees a safe passage to freedom."_

 _"Larry... Larry!"_

 _A familiar voice caught his attention; it was Junior. He was struggling to get to his feet._

 _"D-don't... don't fall for it! P-please... we- I can't lose you too!"_

 _Bowser stepped past the catatonic Larry, who stared at the pair with his eyes increasingly going from the brilliant blue to the milky white. "Now, my son," Bowser said more softly. "Is this any way to speak to your father?"_

 _"You're not my father!" As Junior got up, he spat in his eye. "You will never be my father, you gross fucking star! Give him back! Give back my dad! Give back Larry!"_

 _The man simply chuckled and wiped away the spit, but didn't raise his hand to attack. Instead he looked at him with a very affectionate expression. "My son... I am Bowser. The Dark Star is in here, but that doesn't mean that my love for you has not wavered. It is making me realise how much I appreciate you."_

 _"Appreciate me? Yeah, right. You've done nothing but train me to be a killer! That's it! To follow in the steps of your corrupt political career? Give me a break!" He looked over to Larry, who was standing there. "Larry! Are you there?! Snap out of it!"_

 _"Lawrence realises that his true self is with the Dark Star. We all have our doubts at first, but he saw how it was in the end. You will too, my son... you will understand."_

 _"LARRY! You gotta wake up!"_

 _When Larry didn't respond at all, Junior saw no choice. It was a stupid one, but he couldn't think of an option to get him out of it. He had to resist! He needed him... he needed him so badly. And... if it didn't work... at least he'd be putting him out of his misery._

 _In a flash, before Bowser could even react, he pulled out his personal handgun from his pocket and took aim..._

 _And fired straight at Larry._

 _The gunshot was much more deafening than the one that had transpired before. Bowser roared and knocked the gun out of his son's hand before pushing him to the ground, but it was too late for him; the colour had come back to Larry's eyes. But he coughed... and blood came out. He looked down._

 _Blood was pooling around his stomach. And then became aware of the pain and everything came back to clarity. The pain, the nausea, the absolute silence of nothing except his heart beating intensely as shock started to set in. The darkness started to fade out and everything became clear again._

 _He clutched his stomach and fell to the ground... and he didn't move._

 _"Imbecile! You little wretch! HOW DARE YOU!" Bowser boomed and shot a wave of darkness out again, this time it wrapped itself around Junior's neck. It lifted him straight off the ground and the nineteen year old flailed uselessly in the air, kicking and trying to get out of his grip. "YOU ARE MY SON! AND YOU DO THIS TO ME?! THE DARK STAR DEMANDS NOTHING BUT YOUR OBEDIENCE AND YOU ARE SO ARROGANT THAT YOU BELIEVE YOU CAN INTERFERE WITH THE DARK STAR'S PLANS?!"_

 _Junior gasped and clawed, but managed to get some words out, even if it was smashing the breath out of him quicker. "He would have wanted... it!" He coughed. "He would... NEVER... work... with you!"_

 _"You don't know that! Foolish child! You know nothing of life, of how Lawrence is! You know nothing but naivety and the foolishness of a young man! You will pay for this!"_

 _Junior's screams drowned out into choking as he began to lose consciousness..._

 _This was the end._

 _He regretted so much... there was so much he had wanted to do. Now... now it was over._

 _The blacks in his vision filled in._

* * *

 _"Larry..."_

 _His body was heavy. He struggled to move._

 _"Larry... Larry!'_

 _He tried to force his eyes open, but it felt like they had been glued shut. He tried so hard but everything hurt. He just wanted to go to sleep... he didn't want to fight the pain anymore. He just wanted to submit to it..._

 _"Larry... please... wake up!"_

 _The voice... it was... Lemmy?_

 _Lemmy was there... he was down on the ground, bleeding heavily from the wound he had sustained... that's right... he was rescuing Morton... so he wasn't dead. Blood had streaked all across his left eye leaving it permanently shut. The smaller male breathed heavily, clutching himself and watched as his friend stirred from unconsciousness. Lemmy panted and his other hand was pressed against the ground, pressing down over something that he wriggled in his fingers._

 _"Larry... do it... I can't..."_

 _And then he pushed the gun towards him. It was Junior's Pinrita... it had fallen next to Lemmy, but he couldn't shoot it. It was up to Larry. After all, they had always seen him as a leader... a leader that needed to solve this once and for all. He caught the gun with his left hand, his right hand pressing as hard it could to keep the blood inside his body, and he hoped to the stars above that there was ammo in there._

 _He rolled over, even though he was in so much pain, and gave Lemmy one last look. Lemmy nodded back and bowed his head, too tired to hold it up._

 _The words echoed in his mind._

 _"You will pay for this!"_

 _He had heard those words all his life. He knew from the very start that when he started robbing banks, he would pay for it. He would pay for his greed, his ambition and his skills. Nothing in the world would possibly ever redeem him from the sadness, the despair, the disruption that he and everyone else had created for innocent civilians for so many years. But if he could be remembered for one thing, let it be this._

 _Larry raised the gun and aimed it squarely at Bowser's chest._

 _He will take down the Dark Star._

 _He pulled the trigger._

 _The recoil bounced back in his left hand and Bowser let out an even more almighty howl. He tried to look up and focus his eyes, but his vision was starting to blur._

 _Bowser was standing now, Junior's body having fallen limp to the floor, covering the hole in his chest - he spun around and stared at the downed Larry before moving his hands to reveal the weak spot. The Dark Star replaced his heart. It was beating wildly inside the chest cavity, covered in an oozing oily coloured blood, trying to regenerate itself to recover from the shot, but Larry had it lined up already._

 _"For the Koopaling Gang." He whispered to himself and fired again._

 _The roaring overwhelmed his eardrums again and he lost consciousness for good._

* * *

Henry felt a shaking on his shoulder and he stirred from his unconsciousness. "Hey... hey, you. Uh... Henry?"

"H-huh...?"

He blinked and rubbed his eyes; Red was looking at him, a big expression of concern on his face before it changed to one of relief. "Thank the stars... you're alive. That was a messy landing... here, let me help you..." Red had wrenched the detective's seat belt loose and helped him out of the helicopter; it wasn't on fire, but it was definitely battered beyond flying. Henry clinged onto his rescuer as they limped out in the middle of the grassy field, the compound a short distance away from you.

"Fuck!" Henry swore, his leg giving out - it felt like he had broken it. He wasn't too sure at that point in time.

"Are you okay?! Shit... okay..." Red panted, settling him down gently by a tree. "Fuck... what are we going to do? What the hell was that... fuck..." He grabbed his knees and took five minutes to really catch his breath - how long had they been knocked out for? It hadn't felt all that long. Everything had happened so quickly.

He paused - there was a strange noise coming from behind them, over the horizon. Frowning, Red decided to pick up Henry. "C'mon, c'mon. We gotta get out of here."

"W-why?!"

"There's someone coming..."

"... Yeah, of course... I'm sorry Red," Henry confessed weakly. "I had to... I wasn't sure so... I sent out a distress signal..."

Red blinked. "You... you what?"

And on cue, a squadron of helicopters buzzed over them, heading straight towards the compound. Police helicopters, paramedic helicopters... the entire squad was here. Red couldn't believe it! He looked over to Henry, who was simply smiling.

"I got us covered."

Red couldn't help but smile back - the clever son of a bitch. He put Henry back down near the tree and tried to signal the copters above with frantic hand signals.

"Tango X-Ray Alpha 1, we have a crashed bird a few klicks from the compound. Going in for medical evac, over."

"Roger that Tango X-Ray Alpha 1, go and help whoever is down there. We'll take care of the compound, over."

"Holy shit..."

The pilot circling around the compound couldn't believe what he was seeing - aside from the amount of destruction and dead bodies lying around, the main chapel was almost practically destroyed. It had a big hole in the roof, bigger than anything he had ever seen. He watched as the other crews, both medical and police, slid down off the ropes and began to quickly spread out and check the area.

"Rotor 3 has dispatched all officers, they are clearing the area for hostiles, over."

"Roger that, Rotor 8 is on standby for any casualties."

He kept circling and stared at the carnage.

"Tango X-Ray Alpha 1, we have successfully extracted two patients. One civilian with a concussion, our detective who gave the distress call with a broken leg, over."

"This is Ground Units 3 & 4."

"Go ahead Ground Units 3 & 4."

"No sign of hostiles in the area. Confirmed a lot of casualties and civilians in the compound, bringing them to safety, over."

"Ground Units 3 & 4, 10-4. Helicopter Rotor 16, do you copy?"

The pilot adjusted his microphone. "Reading you loud and clear Control, over."

"Request medical evac inside the chapel - multiple reports of casualties need serious airlift to hospital, over."

"Roger that Control. Rotor 16 is deploying above the chapel."

He hovered the helicopter above the chapel opening and stablized it - within seconds, paramedics were abseiling down with equipment ready to tend to the casualties down below. As the pilot watched everyone go down, he flicked his microphone down again. "Whatever happened here was a shitshow, over."

"I too have words to that effect, Rotor 16, over."

Just as the paramedics hit the chapel floor, the SWAT team had come in through the front door and were splitting out throughout the whole building. Although there had been no signs of hostiles so far, they were not taking any chances. Especially when the distress call was made.

Immediately the medics began to triage what seemed to be worst cases.

"This one is unconscious," She said, rolling a body over and pressing her fingers up to his neck. "Still has a pulse."

"Medic team, what is the status of the casualties down there, over?"

"Control, we are just making the rounds. So far, so good."

"Roger that. Keep us updated, over."

The medic quickly spotted a large male with a bullet wound in his stomach. "Oh shit," She murmured to herself before sliding over and feeling his pulse. Nothing. "Shit, shit, shit, shit..." Immediately, she began to do chest compressions. "We got a critical here! I need help, stat!"

As several other of her colleagues rushed over to her side, she just growled to herself and kept going. She wasn't going to let someone here die. No matter who it was, she was going to revive him! Come on... come on! She pumped as hard as she could to get him back.

"Medic team, status update, over."

"Control, status update; we have two confirmed deaths. Prep for evacuation of casualties and deceased, over."

"Roger that."

She watched as the male was airlifted into Rotor 19 and wiped the sweat from her brow. She wanted to swear and scream and punch something. He had died. He had died under her watch... fuck... all of the other casualties were being airlifted and taken to hospital though, thank the stars for that... she sighed. What a mess.

Getting onto her exit helicopter, the medic just let her head lean back and she tried to look on the bright side of things, but it was hard not to. There was something about that male that she couldn't put her finger on.

"... Uh, Control?"

"Yes, Rotor 19?"

"I believe we have made a mistake, over."

"Go ahead, Rotor 19."

There was the tone of a smile coming from the voice. "Our gunshot man is still kicking."

* * *

 _A/N: Last chapter tomorrow and then that's the end of this story. Phew, I can't believe I made it here!_


	20. Epilogue

**CHAPTER 20 - Epilogue**

* * *

"The Plains Kingdom is in shock today as the aftermath of a raging firefight between cultists known as the Order of the Star and a gang of unknown vigilantes has finally been revealed to the general public. At approximately two o'clock in the afternoon, a distress signal was sent out to the Neo City Police Department in the Darklands Kingdom from the Order of the Star compound. First responders on scene were subject to the grisly sight of many confirmed deaths as well as the death of an important figurehead, more details on the bloody massacre coming as soon as we receive more details..."

 _LOCATION: Princess Toadstool's Castle, Toad City, Mushroom Kingdom_

 _TIME: One Month Later..._

Ludwig stood up, taking in a deep breath. The crowd watched on with bated breath as he approached the Princess and bowed. "Princess Toadstool."

Toadstool was a simply dazzling figure - her beauty and grace was match none of anyone that Ludwig had ever met. Not even he could consider himself to be above her; just like in every appearance she made on televised media, her long golden hair flowed spectacularly and always had that glittering shine to it. She stood tall and proud wherever she went. No matter how you thought she could run a kingdom, she always defied any sort of expectation that one would have of her.

"Chief Ludwig." She spoke curtly, although there was a smile at the end. Behind her were the Royal Knights, Mario and Luigi. They too gave Ludwig a bow, as was the custom in both of their kingdoms. Ludwig tugged at the sleeves of his favourite jacket nervously. It hurt to swallow but he had to swallow his nervousness... wait, he was nervous? He guessed he was too nervous to really tell.

She faced the media circus before them and, in a gentle gesture, picked up his hands. "The Mushroom Kingdom and, well, all kingdoms owe you their lives for the service you have done for us today. While many would let the injustices of evil slide into our fair kingdom, you managed to put an end to it."

Ludwig nodded and gave a small, slanted grin. "Well Princess, I dare say that it was not exactly 100% myself but it is all in protecting our fair kingdoms. I can only regret that the rest of my friends were not able to attend the ceremony that you have generously gathered here for us, but... they deserve peace and quiet to recover."

"Your friends... the Koopaling Gang... the most infamous gang to ever race across the kingdoms in search of greed and glory. They have caused so much trouble and then they... they assisted you in saving us. They saved our history, our heritage, our pride and put an end to the Order of the Star. Is that correct?"

"Yes, Princess. Once upon a time, they were a gang of thieves who held a moral code. While many will scoff at it, while I was directly opposed against them, they have held the code through thick and thin. They pledged to stay loyal to myself not only out of circumstance, but of comradery for myself."

Toadstool looked out and over the crowd. "While many crimes deserve the appropriate amount of justice, thieves can be given chances. In recognition of your service, Chief Ludwig," She faced him. "What will you ask of myself and the Royal Knights? Anything at all."

He didn't even hesitate in his answer. "I ask that pardons be granted to each member: Lemmington Koopa; a smart and creative mind who brings a bit of joy to all of us. Royson Koopa; a figure of mechanical and physical prowess. Ignatius Koopa; genius in technology and one of the brightest hackers of his day. Wendy O. Koopa; a mechanic trying to make ends meet and a brilliant driver and pilot. Morton Koopa Jr.; the man who makes complicated engineering seem like a playground with no PhD whatsoever. Lawrence Koopa; the charismatic leader who built something from nothing. Bowser Koopa II; a young man with an intelligent mind and ready to take on the world. He was never complicit in his father's crimes. Detective Henry Nishimura; one of the best detectives in the NCPD who so willingly showed his loyalty to us in our time of need. Koopas Red, Yellow, Green and Black; whom helped us storm the compound and provided their support even when they didn't have to."

He then faced Mario and Luigi. "Mario, Luigi... I apologise greatly for my behaviour. You had done the right thing in branding me a traitor, for I was, even if my good intentions were not recognised. I do not ask that you grant me a pardon or even let me have the mantle of Chief again... but I ask that you look into your hearts and spare these group of bright individuals whom all have family and friends who care for them."

The two Royal Knights looked deep in thought at his words. Ludwig wasn't sure if they would even accept him until Luigi walked up to him and patted him on the shoulder.

"I'm in acceptance of this. Mario?"

They all looked to Mario. He was frowning. He wasn't sure if he could, after what had transpired. But, in front of the crowd and looking at the faces of his beloved princess and brother, how could he say no? Deep down in his heart, he knew he had forgiven Ludwig a long time ago.

He took his hand and shook it. "Of course. We all deserve second chances. Princess?"

Toadstool nodded and turned to face the crowd. "If the Royal Knights are in agreement, so be it; let pardons be given to the aforementioned individuals and reparations for all whom they have robbed over the years be granted. Even though these individuals have done wrong in the past, I entrust the judgement of Chief Ludwig of the Neo City Police Department." A toad scurried out holding a box. The princess took it from him with a nod of thanks, and opened it. "I am proud to present Chief Ludwig von Koopa the highest honour a civilian servant of the Mushroom Kingdom can receive; the medal of Toadstool Bravery, Order of the Princess. Join us in celebrating this new era of peace as the Order of the Star fades into an unpleasant memory for all of us!"

He could only wish that his parents and his partner was alive to see him now. Ludwig smiled and puffed out his chest as the princess pinned the medal to the lapel of his suit.

"Yeah, go Chief!" Lucas whooped, almost jumping up from his hospital seat in joy as he watched the ceremony on the crappy little television that they had sitting in the corner. He was munching on a sandwich that was meant for Henry, but he had surrendered it as he wasn't feeling particularly hungry that day. Toadogan sat close by, simply clapping with little hums of laughter at Lucas' reaction.

"Luc, calm down," Henry said gently, patting his friend from his hospital bed. "I'm happy too, but... damn."

Lucas paused suddenly, holding a finger up. "Wait! Toadogan! I think I heard Henry swear!"

"Fuck off." Toadogan laughed uproariously at Henry's deadpan reaction. Luckily the room was a private one for the detective and the poor doctors and nurses outside couldn't hear the amount of noise coming from the trio. Henry only came in with a broken leg and some ribs, but had faired relatively well. He had Red to thank for pulling him out of the wreckage and making sure he survived, after all.

The portly toad got off the couch nearby and stretched. "I don't know about you gentlemen, but I need to stretch my legs."

"Sure thing, Investigator. Can you get me something to drink?"

"Certainly, young Henry. Just some water?"

Henry nodded. "Yeah, that would be fantastic. Thank you so much."

As soon as he left, Lucas leaned in to Henry and lowered his voice down to a whisper. "You were right Henry, I actually like Toadogan a lot more now."

"I suppose that's what happens when you let go of your prejudices, Mr. Novak."

"You sound like my goddamn parents Henry... speaking of which..." He paused and looked up at the door. As if right on cue, there they were. Henry couldn't believe it either; feelings of shock and surprise swirled through his stomach at the pair standing at his hospital door.

" _Mom... Dad..._ "

Mr and Mrs Nishimura stood there holding a vase of flowers, looking very sullen even if the spark at seeing their son alive was apparent in their eyes... there was still a lot of guilt behind them. Lucas stood up and grimaced at his friend. "Excuse me." He mumbled, before walking out and shutting the door behind them.

Henry looked away. " _What are you doing here?_ "

" _We heard of what happened... Ruukasu called us. We had no idea._ "

So Lucas called them. Great. He didn't even know that Lucas had their phone number. He thought putting Lucas as his emergency contact was good enough.

" _Henrii. I know you still haven't forgiven us and that's fine... it's just that when we heard... we had to see if you were okay._ "

" _I'm sure if it was Samansa you would have been over here very quickly._ "

His father grabbed his hand. " _No... no, no, no, do not be like that, son. Look... your mother and I... we miss you._ "

" _If you're here to convince me to give up police work,_ " Henry yanked his hand away. " _Don't bother. I've heard enough._ "

" _No, it is not like that at all,_ " Mrs Nishimura explained. " _We... I believe we have come to terms over your decision. Even if it is causing you serious harm, we respect it. We... we realized that you are not Samu and she would be very mad if she was here, knowing how much we compare you to her._ "

" _We're sorry Henrii. We are so sorry that we pushed you away like that. You and Lucas... you followed your dreams and we were not being good parents._ "

Henry tried to blink away tears. " _You... you really hurt me... to say I would end up like her... how could you s-say that..._ "

" _If you have not forgiven us Henrii, that is fine. We just want to let you know that we hope that you can give us a second chance... and let us into your life._ "

He paused, and looked up to the television screen; Toadstool was now talking by herself, addressing her captive audience. Her words rang through his mind as he wiped away the tears. He had to let go of the hateful words of years past. Everyone deserves a second chance. Especially his parents.

" _Okay... okay. One chance._ "

" _Thank you Henrii. Thank you so much!_ " His parents each took a side of the bed and hugged their son extra tightly. As much as he wanted to say that it was going too far, he had to admit, Henry missed the feeling of his parents hugging him. So he melted into it, embraced it and decided to let go. It was time for a second chance.

Outside, Toadogan had come over to Lucas spying through the Venetian blinds holding a water bottle. "What's going on, Lucas?"

"Oh," Lucas smiled. "Just decided to reunite Henry with his parents."

"That's wonderful. Mr. Nishimura was quite tight-lipped on his parents, wasn't he?"

"Yes, he was," Lucas nodded and then turned back to peeking. "He's going to kill me afterwards, though."

* * *

 _LOCATION: 1902 Aspen Drive, Autumn Point, Grasslands Kingdom_

 _TIME: One Year Later_

"Is this okay?"

Liza laughed and ripped the tie off her husband. "For stars sake Lawrence, it's a get-together, not a formal dress party!"

"I know! I'm just... I'm just nervous." Larry scratched the back of his head - he had done it so much over the past few weeks that he wouldn't be surprised if anyone could see his brain. He simply sighed and threw the tie onto his bed before digging his head into his hands. "Fuck... why did you agree to this?"

"Because it's okay, Larry. Really, it is," Liza explained gently. "We've been through this a million times." They stood together at the mirror, preening and brushing any scuffs off her husband's jacket.

"I know. It's just... you know, you never really liked them and I don't blame you Lize. They were kind of an odd bunch."

Liza chuckled. "They are, but they're our odd bunch." She accepted the kiss from Larry when he spun around and gave her a small peck.

"You have no idea how thankful I am that I have you... I know last year was really shitty, but I'm so happy that you came around to them."

How could she not? She was forced to interact with the rest of the gang when she got the news that Larry was in critical condition at the Plains City General Hospital suffering from a gunshot wound. Although it took what felt like an excruciatingly long time for him to wake up, the time taken to really getting to know everyone was worth it.

Lemmy had tried to cheer her up, Wendy held her hand and reassured her that Larry was tough and he'd recover, Morton was a sweetheart and said that he would always be so proud of him... the list could go on. There was only one problem.

"Is Roy coming?"

Larry paused in thought, but then he reminded himself. "No," He answered. "No... he isn't. Neither is Junior, actually."

"The kid who shot you." Liza raised an eyebrow.

"Hey, he did it to save me. Besides, don't blame him; he probably still feels awkward about it. It's fine. Everyone else is coming though and you like them well enough."

Liza nodded and stared at both of themselves in the mirror. Her smile then faded and she looked up to Larry.

"Keep Iggy away from Nick."

"Yeah, that's not a bad idea."

Larry swept away all of the stuff he had pulled out of anxiety and began to file it away in the drawers. "Seriously though Lize, I can't thank you enough. Seeing Iggy and everyone else last year... fuck, it was hell for me. But now... I realise they are my friends and if they can find it in their hearts to forgive me, then it's worth holding onto them, isn't it?"

"I think so," Liza helped out, picking up some socks off the floor. "I think it's romantic that you did all that for me."

"On retrospect."

"Upon retrospect, yes. I'm just so glad they forgive me as well."

Larry shook his head. "It wasn't your fault. I made my decision and I'm sorry you got caught in it as well as Nick, but... strangely enough it all worked out in the end."

"Let's not have a repeat of it though."

"Don't have to tell me twice," He stopped and stared at the wall. "Fuck... that entire experience was so weird. It feels like I hadn't stormed that compound and had that weird... brainwashing experience. Bowser... what a creep. All along he using us just so he could unleash a powerful demon."

"We won't be hearing from him now though," Liza said. "My brave sharpshooter."

"I don't even know if I shot him or I was just hallucinating the whole thing. I guess Junior shooting me was evidence that it was real in some form but... anyway, that's not for you to bear the burden of."

"Yeah. Did you know Shaw has been asking for a progress update for a while."

"Did you tell him I got shot?"

"I told him you got better."

Larry laughed at that. Just as he was folding one of his better shirts away, he heard the doorbell downstairs ring. Immediately, panic bells set off in his head. "Oh shit..."

"Larry, don't fucking wig out on me, okay?" Liza grabbed him by the arms. "You used to be this big bad bank robber and now you're freaking out?" She reassured him with a smile. "It'll be fine. I promise you."

He allowed himself to breathe and nodded. "Okay." The doorbell rang again.

"I got it!" Nick yelled from the entryway, wiping the sweat from his brow as he opened the door.

"Hey, Nicky!" Morton greeted him. "Long time, no see, buddy!"

The teenager stood there awkwardly but tried his best to smile. "H-hey Uncle Morton... thanks for coming. Um... Dad's upstairs. He'll be down shortly. Come in." He wasn't expecting Lemmy to be following in afterwards, holding a box of something under his arm.

"Hey, Nick! Looking good!" He exclaimed enthusiastically, giving him a high five. He wanted to ask what he was bringing in, but Nick could only busy himself with the question of how old Lemmy was that he just gave a seventeen year old a high-five unironically.

"Hello... uh, Uncle Lemmy..." He retreated quickly to the back of the house, where he was manning the barbecue. The guests that had arrived walked into the kitchen, the back door open, which allowed them to smell the smoky scents of roasted meat out in the open. Morton took a deep breath with his hands in his pockets.

"Hey Morton, Lemmy," Larry appeared down the stairs, embracing both of his friends vigorously - Morton almost gave him a bear hug and Lemmy just laughed that cute, gentle laugh that he always did. "Thank you so much for coming. It means so much to me that you came here-" He noted Lemmy holding a box. "Lemmy? What's that?"

Lemmy looked around before smiling nervously. "N-nothing...?"

"If you bought fireworks, we can fire them outside in the field behind us." Liza appeared from behind Larry and went to the fridge.

Larry threw his hands up. "Liza!"

Lemmy whooped with joy and high-fived Morton.

"Larry, don't be a shitty host and get your friends some beer!"

The hen-pecked husband rolled his eyes. "You're killing me here, woman." He laughed as he tossed the both of them beers. "Anyway, Nick has so kindly volunteered to do the food for us this evening. He's been acing his home-economics classes and wanted to show off."

"Dad!" Nick yelled from the back, clearly embarrassed.

Morton turned to yell back. "If you get a partner, they'll be all over you. Properly cooked food is a hot commodity, no pun intended!"

"Shut up!"

The group laughed and began to chat about what was going on in the past year; after recovering from their injuries (Lemmy had split his head open and required stitches, plus physical therapy for a shattered pelvis, Morton had suffered trauma to the back of his head), the pair had banded together after Lemmy couldn't find anything to do with himself after the circus rejected him for running out on the job. Morton managed to pull a few strings as an engineer and referred Lemmy to their demolition crew, whom had been accepted with flying colours and was earning a much more sizable and comfortable wage. Lemmy had learned how to drive a car, Morton had picked up a few dates that went nowhere and the two had been cruising around the kingdoms for a good while on their off-time.

"Knock-knock!" A familiar voice exclaimed from the foyer. Liza put her head in one of her hands and muttered to herself.

"Oh, fuck me..."

Lemmy spun around with the hugest smile on his face. "Iggy!"

The lanky male hobbled in, holding a six-pack of alcohol which he nearly dropped when Lemmy almost spear-tackled him. "Woah, easy there Firebug!" He looked over to Liza and nodded. "Hey Lize. How's things?"

Liza tried to remain neutral in her tone. "Good, Iggy. And you?"

"Fantastic, never better. How's Nick?"

"He's outside. Busy. Shouldn't disturb him."

Larry smirked and hugged his friend to save Liza a potential argument. "Hey brother, thanks for coming by."

"No problems. Always got time to make the road trip up here," He quickly sat down in one of the armchairs and stretched his leg out. "Whose Chuckin' Charger '87 is that out front? That's an awesome ride!"

Morton turned to stare at Lemmy, who suddenly looked very put out. "W-what? That old thing... no, that was..."

"Dude! It's awesome! Where did you get it?!"

"I... I bought it. The new job I got pays a lot."

Iggy shrugged with a grin and popped open one of the beers he had bought over. "Whatever man. I'm just saying, I'm jealous. Oh hey, Lawrence," He pointed to him. "The Koopa Bros send their best but they're not able to come."

"That's fine. I understand," Larry said. "They're busy and we kind of dragged them into a lot of shit."

"What are they complaining about?" Iggy frowned, looking indignant. "We didn't get them shot."

Morton jumped in. "In case you don't remember, we dumped a helicopter at their place, invaded their home, clogged up their phone and internet lines, I'm pretty sure Iggy has given their address to so many shady people and dragged them into raiding a compound. I don't blame them."

"But they're fantastic friends. I told you guys they were reliable." Lemmy said, to which Larry nodded.

"Can't argue with that." He said. "So, I don't know if you guys know, but Roy and Junior aren't coming."

Lemmy looked disappointed. "Why not?"

"I don't know. They just said they couldn't. Junior probably doesn't want to deal with the awkwardness and Roy... well, Roy still hates me I think." He took an extra large swig of beer and tried to let the bitter taste recede into his mouth. Of course, it was hard not to notice. He wondered where they were.

* * *

 _LOCATION: Volcanic Point High-Security Prison, Darklands Kingdom_

 _TIME: 4:09PM_

"So, what are you going to tell him?"

Junior snapped out of his thoughts as they walked down the long hallway. "Tell him what?"

Roy gave him a big toothy grin and thumped his back. "That you got a boyfriend, duh!"

"He's not my boyfriend, Roy!" He felt like he had been repeating that for what felt like an entire day by now.

"And what was last night about?"

He tried to hide his devious look behind his glasses - last night was certainly an interesting situation that he had walked into. Junior blushed a very big cherry red. He didn't like to talk about it because he found it way too awkward to say out loud, even though he was now twenty and practically an adult and it had been ages since they had gotten in touch with each other.

"Nothing that you shouldn't have walked in on."

Roy laughed. "We're roommates, did you think you'd honestly get some privacy?"

"I'd trust that you wouldn't see us like this!"

He was beginning to sweat bullets. For fuck sake, how long was this hallway?! It depressed him so much to be back here again, but it was the obligation as always. He tried to hide his frustration with the pink male next to him, but the patience that he had been taught from an early age was a virtue was beginning to feel more optional than ever before.

"So you're saying you and Henry did a 'kiss-and-don't-tell'?"

"A what?"

"Well in your case it would be a 'digging-for-treasure-in-his-mouth-and-don't-tell', am I right?"

Junior looked at him with a disgusted look. "You're messed up."

"I'm not the one who kisses guys."

"I'm sure you were a ladies man with all the girls around here. Oh wait!" He poked his tongue out at him.

Roy simply laughed. "With enough imagination, anything is possible."

"Oh, good fucking stars above." Junior did not even want to think about how gross that was. Prison really did mess Roy up. The pair wandered from there on in silence all the way over to the visitors centre, a narrow criss-crossing of sterile, yet somehow dirty looking walls with the ambient noise of prisoners shouting, chains rattling and other horrific sounds that one would not want to encounter if the building was empty. Roy folded his arms as they walked and he looked around almost wistfully.

"Been a year since I got outta here thanks to your dad." He said.

Junior just smiled awkwardly at that and continued - eventually, they reached the officer's booth. Before he could even say a word though, the officer just looked up, recognised them and let them through. "I'll get him for you." Was all he said as he vanished into the back.

The pair took their seats over by one of the two-way phone booths - Roy found it hauntingly familiar and it felt like a lifetime ago that he was on the other side - and sat there in silence, awaiting for the inevitable.

" _Prisoner 1984 coming in._ "

Junior straightened up now, looking more attentive. The shambling of chains quickly overtook the room as a large figure came into view. He caught eyes with the pair, smiled widely and shambled over to the other side. Junior picked up the phone.

"Hey Dad."

Bowser smiled. "Hey son, how ya doing?"

"I'm great Dad, thank you. How are you?"

"A little bit of the heart burn, as always. But just doing my time. Taking up some reading actually. They got a nice library here."

Junior nodded. "They let you out?"

"It's illegal if they leave me in solitary for too long, or so I hear," Bowser didn't sound so convinced - he looked ragged and a bit bleary eyed. "True to their word though they're actually following the rules."

"Probably Ludwig, Dad."

"Ah yes, Ludwig. Have you seen him around?"

"Not since the ceremony."

Bowser nodded, then looked over to Roy. "Hey, put me on the phone to him."

Junior tapped the phone on Roy's shoulder. "Boss man wants to speak to you."

He took the phone and replaced Junior's seat, pressing the receiver up to his ear. "Hey Boss man. Ironic that we've switched sides now, huh?"

"Yes, it has. Haven't seen you around here before Roy, what's the special occasion?"

Roy looked suddenly put out but, after a nod from Junior, just shrugged and answered the question. "Larry invited me to this big get-together at his place and... I didn't want to go. Still kind of hate his guts for the whole betrayal thing, you know?"

"I understand," Bowser nodded - he still hadn't forgiven Larry for shooting him, even if it was to save his life. "It isn't like I could go anyway."

"Would anyone even let you in?"

"Hah, you got that right. But... well, you're doing well?"

"Since the Chief got me the pardon, I've gone back to school actually," He looked proud of himself. "Not sure what I wanna do, but it's a start. Besides, chicks love the ex-con look. Speaking of which," He elbowed Junior in the side, which made him yelp out in surprise. "Your son has something to say to you! Hey Junior, your father wants to talk to you!"

Before he could even protest, Roy had shoved the phone into the younger males hands and had wandered over to a window nearby. "Hey Dad!" Junior fumbled with the phone. "I don't know what Roy's talking about but-"

"You found a girlfriend?" Bowser looked so hopeful, it shattered Junior to even admit what he was about to admit.

"I've been... seeing someone, yes."

"That's fantastic! I'm so proud of you, Junior! What's her name?"

Roy chuckled from the back.

"I... Dad... his name is Henry."

He caught a small glimpse of Bowser's crestfallen expression before digging his face into his hand. He so wanted to throw the phone at Roy whom he was sure was holding back laughter. He was a freaking sociopath or something. Junior couldn't bear to hear his father's reaction, even though he kept the phone on his ear.

"I see... is he making you happy, son?"

Junior looked up - he saw his father trying hard to keep a soft face, but he could see the shock in his eyes. "Yeah. He is... he helped me out a lot when I thought you died and... well, you know, after everything we just started seeing each other. So... yeah, he makes me happy."

His heart stopped when Bowser pressed the palm of his hand against the window, nodding at Junior to do the same back. Even Roy was stunned to silence at the gesture - he watched as the father and the son pressed their hands against one another.

"I'd rather you chose a girl... but that's just me being old-fashioned," Bowser chuckled. "He makes you happy, I can tell. You have this big smile that I haven't seen on you in such a long time. When I get out, I would like to meet him and tell him how proud I am of both of you. I only care about you being happy Junior. You deserve it after everything I put you through."

Junior sniffled. "D-Dad... you know I always forgive you for that day. It was scary and weird and I still wonder why you did it, but I forgive you. You're my family."

"You also have Roy, even if he is a weird man. Why don't you give Larry and company a call as well? Have you spoken to them?"

"Not since we were released from the hospital."

He still had his hand up on the window. "Will you call them? They're fantastic people and they care for you."

"I will, Dad."

"And tell Roy to keep himself clean."

"You'd be surprised at how much he can actually take care of himself," Junior said. "I mean, he's only been handcuffed by campus security twice!"

"Hey," Roy exclaimed. "I'm a fucking adult, I can drink if I want!"

"Not during class though, you idiot!"

Bowser laughed at this; it was a genuine laugh that Junior almost got tears again from. It was so nice to hear his father laugh so genuinely and freely. "If Roy gets in trouble, just tell them that you took down an ancient god, okay? Take Larry's credit, I'm sure he won't mind."

"Dad, it wasn't much of a god if it could be destroyed by two handgun bullets."

"Alright smartass, I'll let you go now. The guards are telling me time is up. I swear they're shortening visit time... anyway, good to see you again son. And thanks for coming."

Junior smiled. "Anytime, Dad. See you next month?"

"See you next month."

He put the phone down and watched as his father was escorted away again, his heart feeling so much lighter. The nervousness had all but vanished from his system and while he wanted to choke Roy out for putting him on the spot like that, Bowser was right; he was family and so was everyone else. His hands sat nervously on his cell phone on the ride back home.

Soon, he thought to himself, soon.

* * *

"Wendy. Ludwig. Iggy. Morton. Lemmy. Thank you all so much for coming here and celebrating this wonderful occasion of getting together and remembering the crazy adventure we had," Larry stood at the end of the table, beer held high. "It was only a year ago that I was forced to drag you all out of your mundane lives to do a job for someone whom had been lying to us and was planning to dominate the world. But our quick thinking helped put an end to that, and we walked away the victors. A cult entirely squashed out of existence. A traitor to the Neo City Police Department is now dead, undone by his wrath and we have buried the hatchet (somewhat) between all of us. I know you all forgive me for what I did to you all eleven years ago, but I ask again; do you forgive me?"

"Larry, for the last freaking time," Wendy said, Kat having an arm wrapped around her shoulder. "Of course we do! I think what you did makes up for all of that."

Iggy laughed. "Yeah! From what I heard, you did two clean shots with a bullet in your gut and a bleeding lung. That was insane!"

"I don't think the Koopaling Gang will be back in business ever again now that Ludwig had generously gotten us all pardons for our crimes..."

"You are very welcome, Lawrence." Ludwig nodded with a smile.

"We can now go on with our lives as semi-normal people. Morton and Lemmy have new jobs, Wendy and Kat are getting fucking married finally!" Everyone whooped around the table. "Ludwig is still enjoying his lofty job keeping the riff-raff out of Neo City, Iggy is now working with the Neo City Police Department in their hacker division, I mean, holy shit! You're a cop too, Iggy! How does that feel?"

Iggy took a long swig. "I feel like I've betrayed our roots, but then I realised I can do what I love doing, legally!"

"I'll drink to that." Lemmy replied, clinking his bottle with Iggy's.

"And, most important of all, Nick? Do you mind if I say it?"

Nick looked very put out now, with a million eyes looking at him. He blushed and rubbed the back of his head. "I... uh... s-sure, Dad... I mean, is it really a big deal-?"

"My son is going to fucking college! Nicholas Koopa, with his A's and being the all round perfect student, got accepted into the Mushroom Kingdom Academy for Arts and Sciences. Only the best fucking educational institution in the world!"

Liza laughed loudly as Nick tried to hide his embarrassment. "Dad!"

"They reserved a place for him when he graduates high school and will be majoring in music!"

"Congratulations, Nicholas!" Ludwig said happily. "Smart as your mother, creative as your father! You got the best and you will do the best."

"That's right!" Larry hopped up and down like an over-energised kid. "I am so proud of my son! Can we have a toast to him, please?!"

Morton stood up and held his drink up. "Of course! Everyone!"

"Let's hear it for Nick, who will succeed in what he wants to do, legally." Wendy said, the table erupting into more laughs (including Nick). "Look kid, if you need any help, Kat here is a music nerd. She'll hook you up with anything you need, she's practically a walking encyclopedia."

"To our Nick," Liza puffed out her chest proudly. "He's been with us and part of this family since he was born and now he's made us so proud."

"Always, buddy." Morton said to him.

"Good luck on your college endeavours," Ludwig raised his drink. "You have a lot of family who will support you no matter what. So... here's to Nicholas. The next generation of great minds, eager to be educated and ready to be moulded and formed into his own sense of self. Follow your interests and your heart... and it never hurts to have some friends in high places too."

Lemmy jumped up on his chair. "To Nick!"

"To Nick!"

The group clinked their drinks together. The unmistakable sound of good luck ringing through the backyard made everyone's spirits soar. After they had all finished their round, the food that had been cooked for them awaited. Larry simply smiled and looked over at his weird extended family.

But they were his family. They had been through a lot of weird shit and there was still quite a lot more to figure out, but so far, things had been good.

He just thanked the stars above for bringing him here to this moment.

There was still a lot more to do.

But as he watched Ludwig and Iggy laugh like old buddies, Lemmy chattering excitedly to Nick about what he planned to do in college, Morton and Wendy discussing various mechanical things and Kat and Liza getting to know each other finally, Larry knew that the future would have to wait for just a second and to embrace the present.

They had finally won.

 **THE END**

* * *

 _A/N: Holy moly! 20 chapters and it's over! What a ride this has been, from start to finish it has been amazing the amount of love and support this has been given. This was just a dumb little AU that I wanted to breathe life into and to get out of my system and I finally got to finish it and share it with the world. An achievement considering all of the things that are sitting on my hard drive. Thank you to all of my regular reviewers, guests and all those who took the time to leave positive and constructive reviews. I know I have a lot to learn about writing, but the reception this fic got has been astounding to me and I am truly humbled by you all._

 _So thank you, all of you who read this. You're amazing for sticking by this story. A lot of ideas have gone in here, been dumped, reworked and a bunch of other things. There's some more plans on my mind for expanding the universe, but that'll be for another time._

 _Stay awesome everyone. Thank you so much again._

 _\- Wings_


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